Tragic Love
by Candylovin Fehrian
Summary: After a bad breakup Luke makes some mistakes. Uncle Jesse is now forced to reveal the truth about the death of Luke's parents. And it ain't pretty... Can Luke handle the consequences? Story is based on the song Whiskey Lullaby, by Brad Paisley and Alison
1. First signs

_**A/N Well, it took me a while, but I got the first couple a chapters finished! An' since our Springbreak started taday, I can write even more!  
This story will be pretty angsty, there will be some action, but it will take me some time ta get ya there... Well, I'll keep it short, and hope you'll read and review. Not let's git on to the story, the story about Luke's parents... Enjoy!**_

1

**Welcome to a quiet night on the Duke farm y'all. The crickets are tsjirpin, the stars are shinin, an' sleep fills our favourite farmhouse. Now don't that look peaceful? Ya don't think somethin 'll disturb that peace now, do ya? **

_ She put him out   
like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette _

Stumbling into the small kitchen of the farmhouse, darkness surrounded the swaying person. A slight clunk could be heard as the man took hold of the kitchen counter, as the world kept spinning around him. His heart felt heavy, no amount of alcohol could get rid of that feeling tonight. His mind however wasn't on full alert anymore. So when the lights came on, he squinted as the bright light stabbed through his closed eyelids. He put one hand in front of his face, trying to ward the attack off as he kept his firm hold on the counter, not trusting himself to let go just yet.

Bo had been fast asleep for two hours, his date with Betty-Jo had been nice, but her daddy was real firm when it came to his little girl. So Bo had acted a bit out of character and brought her home before 10. The buckshot he had gotten in his backside the last time her daddy found them in the hayloft, was a real good reason to do that good deed.  
Luke had stayed behind with the girl he had been dating for the past few months, Sarah, when Bo and Betty-Jo had left the Boarsnest.

A slight rumble caused Bo to open one of his eyes, taking a look at the bed next to him. Seeing it was empty, a slight worry started to gnaw at his stomach. Another thump caught his ear, and the worry disappeared. That had to be Luke.

When another, louder thump reached his ears, Bo decided he should get up and take a look. Just in case it wasn't Luke… Maybe Roscoe was trying to frame them for another one of Boss' schemes.

Opening the bedroom door slowly, Bo shivered as the cool night air reached his bare upper body. He reached for the lights, seeing a shadow standing, or rather swaying, at the kitchen counter. When the lights came on he saw a very dishevelled Luke, holding his hand in front of his eyes as if the light hurt him.

"Luke?" Bo whispered, hoping he hadn't woken Jesse or Daisy, "You awright?" he asked, already guessing and smelling how his cousin got into this state.

Setting his eyes on the couch, Luke decided to make his way to that safe and steady place. While he started stumbling towards it he started slurring.

"I's fiiine… Don need no… one… Speciall-y no Saaara Ray…" he tried to say, stumbling over his own tongue.

Bo was surprised, to say the least. His cousin was known for his self-control, and he almost never got drunk. Besides, he had been with Sarah, right? Oohh Sarah… One of the people who had a tight hold on Luke's emotions. Something had happened.

Seeing how Luke had reached the couch, and was lying on it with his eyes closed, Bo decided this was not the moment to talk about that. He grabbed a blanket lying on the chair next to him and draped it over his snoring cousin. Pulling off his cousins muddy boots, Bo put them next to the backdoor. Looking back one more time to the oblivious face of his older cousin, Bo sighed as he tiptoed back to the warm comfort of his bed. He was back asleep within minutes.

- o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o -

Flashes of dreams filled Luke's intoxicated mind.

A woman crying… Sarah?

It was her face, but it kept disfiguring. The cheeks became fuller, the hair darker.

Mom?

She was crying and mumbling… "Sorry… so sorry…please… Kevin…"

He saw himself, an angry scowl on his face and a bottle dangling in his hand.

"It was a mistake, please don't go!" Sarah said. But that voice… It sounded like his mom's. It was desperate.

An explosion, fire heating his face. Pieces of wood surrounding him. Ember heating his skin.

Falling to the ground, but the ground never came, until…

- o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o -

Luke tumbled off of the couch landing face down on the hardwood floor.

"Oomph", came the sound as he tried to sit up. His pounding head didn't agree with him though, and as he started to stand, his stomach started to protest too. He only managed to make one gurgling sound, before he made a beeline to the bathroom, throwing up what he had eaten the evening before.

After 10 minutes of constant heaving, he finally sat up, meeting the slightly amused face of his younger cousin, who was standing in the doorway, leaning against the door post.

"Rough night?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned, even though he was still wearing the small smirk.

Luke shook his head as the memories of the night before came rushing back to him.

"Yeah, ya can say that again…"

"Somethin wrong cuz?" Bo asked, seeing the sad look in Luke's eyes as he thought back to the night before.

Luke shook his head, immediately regretting it as the little man hammering inside of his head started to slam even harder.

"Nah, I'm fine, jus a little hung over," he replied, not wanting to delve right into his love problems at this hour of the day.

"Ya sure? Cause I could a sworn I heard ya say Sarah Ray's name last night…" Bo said, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Yeah well, let's jus say that's over."

Bo's eyes widened a bit, he hadn't expected that. Sarah seemed perfect for Luke. She was just as stubborn as he was, but in a sweet way. She didn't have trouble using her mouth, which stood in contrast whit her pretty, almost shy-ish looks.

"Ya broke up?" he asked, not sure if Luke would want to talk about it now.

The splitting headache and the flipping of his stomach didn't help with Luke's patience.

"Ya know what Bo, jus leave me alone for now," he retorted, not in the mood for a big conversation right now.

Seeing his cousin felt poorly, Bo decided to play it safe and just leave for once. He did plan to get back on it with his cousin later in the day. He had to get to the bottom of this, not only out of his own curiosity, but also for his cousins well-being. Knowing from experience how Luke bottled everything up inside, letting it fester until it came bursting out in one giant explosion.  
Shrugging slightly, Bo left the bathroom, in search of some much needed food as Luke cleaned himself up for a breakfast he wasn't sure his stomach could hold.

- o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o -

Later that day, after Luke's stomach had settled and the thumping in his head had lessened until it was only a dull throb and after the boys had finished their chores, they were trying out the new fuel-pump which Cooter had installed into the General a day before.

As the trees flew by Luke's mood didn't seem to brighten. In fact, Bo noticed how the scowl on his cousin's face became even deeper when they passed Sarah Ray's house. Deciding now was the best time, Bo plunged in.

"Ya don't want ta visit yur girl, Luke? The two of ya seemed mighty tight last night. And if I'm right, she's home right 'bout now…" trailing of, he waited for his cousin's reply. He was more then a little confused when it didn't came.

"Ahh, buddy? Ya still with me here?" he asked, seeing how Luke's gaze was still pointed to the outside, seemingly watching the scenery.

Putting his eyes back on the road, he grinned a little when he saw where they were. Willow's Creek. The storm from three months ago had completely destroyed the bridge, and seeing as Boss was too cheap to repair it, it made a great jumping place for the ole' General Lee.

"Well, if ya ain't listenin ta me, maybe this 'll help," he murmured, preparing the General for the big jump.

As he speeded up he manoeuvred the General so it was positioned right in front of the natural ramp. After the wheels came loose from the ground, the wonderful feeling of flying made Bo call out his rebel yell.

"Yeeeehaw!"

He could never get over that fantastic feeling of soaring through the air, feeling weightless for just a few precious moments. As the ground came closer he prepared for the impact of the wheels hitting the ground.

The thump came and, as always, rattled his teeth a little. Skidding to a halt at the end of the road, he didn't expect what happened next.

"Whatta ya think yur doin Beauregard Duke! Couldn't ya tell me ya were gonna jump. Yur insane ya know that? Completely insane!"

The yelling Luke was doing, hurt his ear. But the thump he gave his shoulder hurt even more.

"Oow, whatta ya did that for? I ain't the one who pretends ta be dead to tha world. Ya looked like ya were somewhere else cuz. So don't blame me while you weren't payin attention," Bo fumed. He was not taking the blame for this.

He calmed down a little when he saw Luke rub the back of his head, probably where it hit the headrest. Both cousins stared forward, rearranging their thoughts, and Bo started to feel a little sorry about his latest stunt.

"Look cuz, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for ya ta get hurt. I thought it was a funny way ta get ya out of yur stupor," he said, his voice softer then it was a minute ago.

The response he got was not one he had expected. Luke pulled himself up and slid through the window, getting out of the car, before saying,

"Yeah well ya shoulda thought of that before ya jumped the bloody creek. What's the problem with y'all lately? Doesn't anybody think anymore before they do somethin? Yur all the same…" he exclaimed before jumping on the dusty road and walking in the direction of the Boars Nest.

Bo sat their, eyes wide and mouth opened, doing a perfect imitation of a fish swimming in Hazzard Pond. 'What was that all about?'  
Thinking back to the night before, and how Luke had mentioned Sarah's name, he guessed the answer to Luke's strange behaviour would lie in her hands. But first he needed to let his cousin cool down. Revving up the engine he shot forward, heading towards the farm where Jesse and Daisy were surely waiting for them with dinner.

**I'm glad ta see that boy also has a nice set of brains goin for him. I always thought Luke was the one with the brains, but them boys probably did a switcheroo, cause Luke sure don't look like he's usin his brain right now…**


	2. Too familiar

_**A/N Since I had already written this out, here is the next update, a little early but I hope you'll like it!**_

2

_Back at the Farm_

"I don't know uncle Jesse, I guess he wants ta be alone for now. He sure was mad when he got out of the General before," Bo explained as they sat at the dinner table, a big pot of crawdad soup standing in front of them.

"That don't matter none Bo, that boy knows we's waitin for him, so he'll be back soon, and until then… we wait," Jesse said with a stern voice.

"But uncle Jesse, I'm not sure if he'll be back tonight. It looked like he was goin to the Boars Nest. Maybe he'll be eatin there?" Bo asked, hoping his uncle would agree with him. No matter how worried he was bout Luke, his hunger had gotten the better of him.

Seeing the look on his uncle's face told him to go no further, so he backed down, slouching in the kitchen chair.

_An hour later…_

Jesse Duke was wringing his hands. Partly out of worry, partly out of anger. Shoving his chair backwards, he told his family they could eat if they wanted.

But by now, Bo wasn't even hungry anymore. He was getting worried about his wayward cousin. After last night, and this afternoon, he felt he had reason to. His normally level-headed elder cousin wasn't known for staying away for dinner. Heck he was the most responsible person Bo knew.

"I'm goin to the Boars Nest, an' if that boy's there, I'm gonna take him by the ears and drag him back to this here farm," Jesse spoke, grabbing the keys of the white pick-up truck.

"I'll go check Sarah Ray's place," Bo said, "he mentioned her a few times last night, and I'm a guessin she's got somethin ta do with all of this."

As Jesse put the soup back on the stove, Bo was already gone. The roar of the General Lee could be heard, just as the phone started to ring in the Duke household.

"Jesse Duke speakin'," Jesse answered, worry gnawing at his stomach. This had to be about Luke…

His mind shifted back to a few months ago, when his eldest nephew had been fighting for his life in that cold hospital. Machines keeping him alive as a ventilator pumped air into his weakened lungs. He had pulled through however, making a speedy recovery, something they hadn't expected, seeing as how he had been in a coma for about a week.

A rough voice pulled Jesse out of his thoughts however, as the person on the other end of the line started speaking.

"Uncle Jesse? It's Cooter. Look I'm at the Boars Nest, an' Luke's here too. Err, I hate ta say this, but he don't look too good," the Hazzard mechanic explained through the phone.

"Uncle Jesse? Ya still there?"

"I ain't yur uncle Jesse, Cooter," Jesse sighed. The relief he felt that Luke was safe and sound was slightly overshadowed by the sound of Cooter's voice.

"I know uncle Jesse. But see, I can't leave, seein as Roscoe wrecked my tow truck, tryin ta catch some tourist in one of his speedintraps… So I think ya better come an' get im, cause he's about ta fall of his chair," Cooter ended, waiting for the response he expected.

"I'm a comin Coot, ya just give im some coffee or somethin, jus keep him there," Jesse didn't wait for the response, hanging up the phone, as he made his way towards the truck, telling Daisy to try and reach Bo on the CB to tell him they found their lost Duke.

- o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o -

Bo reached Sarah Ray's house in record time. He knew his cousin. If there was something that bothered him, it had to do with family or his love life. And seeing how Luke had been acting, he just knew it had to do with Sarah Ray. And he sure hoped it had nothing to do with the stories he had heard about the girl a few years back. She supposedly wasn't too loyal to her boyfriends in her younger years. Shaking his head Bo banned those thoughts from his mind. He had no right to accuse someone of betraying his cousin. And he wasn't going to do that. Sarah could have changed, maybe something else happened…

He made his way up to the front door in large strides, knocking on the screen door, seeing the light burning inside.

The screen door creaked when Sarah Ray opened it slowly, an embarrassed look manifesting itself on her face as she saw who it was. Standing in the small opening she didn't even wait to hear what Bo had to say.

"Look Bo, it wasn't my fault. He wasn't supposed ta come back and see thát."

Confusion was written on Bo's face as a frown marred his young features.

"See what Sarah?" he asked, sensing that she knew exactly what was going on with his cousin.

Now it was her turn to look confused. But after the confusion, understanding dawned on her.

"Ya mean… He didn't tell ya?" she snorted, "I always thought you two was close. Guess I was wrong,"

"See what Sarah?" Bo repeated, starting to feel irritated with the slender blonde.

Sarah sighed, knowing he would find out sooner or later she decided to tell the truth. It wasn't like they would want to talk to _her_ ever again after this…

"Last night, 'bout an hour after you an' Betty Jo left the Boars Nest, Luke took me home. After he left Brett came…" she trailed off.

Bo had been listening intently to her short story, and every second she continued made him more suspicious of what was about to come.

Taking a defensive pose Sarah defended herself,

"Look, if Luke 'd just stayed away, he wouldn't have seen me an' Brett, ya know. But the darn fool came back. Started a big fight with Brett, tryin ta defend me! An' when I told em ta stop it, that Brett wasn't molestin me, he looked at me with those puppy dog eyes, an' left…" Sarah's voice got softer in the end, and she actually looked sympathetic, "I didn't mean for this ta happen Bo. I just… Luke's a real great fella, I do love im… An' I told him I was real sorry. I need somethin steady and real, an' ta be honest, I ain't sure if Luke was ready for that. But after last night, I guess he don't want ta talk ta me anymore… "

To say that Bo was mad, was an understatement. On the other hand, he felt a little sympathy for her too. She made a mistake, but she hurt his cousin. And that was something Bo didn't take lightly.

"So what yur sayin is, ya cheated on him because ya loved him too much?" he snorted before turning away from the betraying blonde standing in the doorway.

"Ya know what, I always thought you an' Luke where the real thing. I never saw him more open than when he was with you… I guess _you_ didn't deserve him after all," he ended, leaving the saddened girl watching the cloud of dust settle down as the spinning wheels of the General Lee skidded off of her daddies property.

**That boy sure knows how ta stand up for his cousin. I wonder where that wayward cousin of his is at this same moment…**

When Jesse pulled up at the parking lot he already saw Cooter Davenport waiting for him with an anxious look on his face. Getting out of the car, faster then anyone would expect from the elderly man, he made his way to the family friend in record time.

"Where is he Cooter?"

Shaking his hat covered head, Cooter pointed towards the long and dusty road.

"I'm real sorry uncle Jesse, but he took off…"

Amazement seeped into Jesse's veins, "He took off? Didn't ya try ta stop him?" he asked the mechanic.

Lifting up his dirty hat, Cooter revealed an angry looking bruise covering his right eye.

"I sure did try Uncle Jesse, but that boy's got a mean left hook, even when he's drunk enough ta pass out," he said, ducking his head in shame. And while understanding dawned on Jesse, he clapped Cooter on the back in a friendly manner.

"Is alright Coot, I know ya did everythin ya could ta stop him. Now which way did he go?"

Looking up, Cooter pointed in the direction he had seen his friend stumbling along, just minutes ago, "My guess is he went in the direction of Millers Road, if ya hurry, you ´ll catch im."

"Thanks Cooter," Jesse answered before getting in his old, rusty truck and driving up the darkening road. At that moment the CB crackled to life.

"This is Lost Sheep one, calling Shepard, uncle Jesse, you there?", came the voice of Bo Duke.

"This is yur Uncle Jesse Bo, what's wrong?" Jesse answered, hoping Bo had already run in to his older cousin.

"I just saw Sarah Ray, an' I think it's safe ta say she's the reason of Luke's weird behaviour,"

"How's that, that boy didn't do somethin stupid did he?" Jesse asked, hearing Bo snort in response.

"No, let's say it was her doin the stupid thing. She cheated on im with Brett Learson, said it was because she loved im too much when he caught them," Bo said, letting the sentence linger in the air for a while. He expected a quick response from his uncle, but nothing came.

"Uncle Jesse? You there?"

"Yeah, I'm here Bo. I'm just not likin this situation," he said, and adding to himself, "Sounds to darn familiar…"

"Whatta ya say uncle Jesse?" Bo asked, confused with the murmur of his uncle.

"Nothin. Look, I'm drivin towards Millers Road, Cooter said Luke walked that way when he left the Boars Nest. I'm a guessin he's here somewhere, you go home an' fill in Daisy and you two eat some crawdad soup. I'll make sure Luke get's home."

"Alright, an' uncle Jesse? Don't be too mad at im, he really liked her…" Bo said before turning the General and heading back to the Duke Farm.

- o -o -o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o


	3. Devils Cliff

_**A/N This will be a short chapter, but don't y'all worry, cause it is the start of the action, drama an' all the other fun yur expectin! I'll just keep my mouth shut now, an' let ya git on to the story!  
Ow, and a BIG thanks to all the wonderful people who reviewed my story. You guys are great, and it's what keeps me writin! Enjoy...**_

3

After five minutes of carefully driving down the sandy road, Jesse spotted a darkened figure in the final light of that day. Darkness was already settling in and the figure was nothing more then a dark shape, not moving, just sitting on the edge of Devils Cliff. But Jesse recognized the slumped shoulders and dark complexion immediately. Parking the car on the edge of the road, a few meters from the person, he got out and slowly made his way towards his nephew.

He sat there, legs dangling into the ravine below him, looking over the beautiful landscape in front of him. Jesse wondered if he really saw the actual landscape, or if he was just staring. Concern marred his features as he carefully made his way to the cliff, known as Devils Cliff. It was a steep ravine, formerly a favourite jumping place for the boys, but after the river dried out and storms had roughened the area, the ravine got to dangerous and deep to jump. Now it was a place for lovers to park their car and do the things that lovers do when they are alone in a car surveying a beautiful landscape.

Sitting down besides his nephew, Jesse sighed and silently sat there, his legs however were not dangling over the edge, he went for safety and sat down Indian style. He heard the squeak his bones made when he did that, but ignored it.

"You sober up a little yet?" he gruffly started asking the silent young man.

The slight nod of Luke's lowered head was the only sign he gave his uncle. The nice haze he had spent his time in this afternoon was wearing off, and he didn't like it. It left him feeling dizzy, dark and also ashamed of what he had done. Thinking of how he had left Bo before, he knew he had some apologizing to do.

"Sorry I missed dinner," he started softly.

Jesse chuckled, "Boy, I'm jus glad you's fine, it's a shame of that crawdad soup though," he added, his anger at his eldest nephew dissipating a little, seeing how ashamed he was of his actions.

"Sorry I punched Cooter," Luke went on, causing Jesse to grin a little.

"Well, I'm a guessin you'd better say that ta Cooter. I'm also guessin, he'll forgive ya."

When Luke kept glancing at the darkening sky and a deep sigh escaped his lungs, Jesse decided to just jump in.

"This whole thing, gettin drunk twice in a row an' badmouthin yur kin. Does it have anythin ta do with Sarah Ray makin some bad decisions?"

Luke's head flew up in a flash, looking Jesse straight in the eyes. Jesse was surprised to see a fiery anger burning in those blue orbs. The intensity of that look almost made him want to turn away, but he couldn't. It was too familiar. And he knew why. He had seen that look before, he had seen it almost twenty years ago, right before everything went wrong…

"Bad decisions? Uncle Jesse, I loved that girl, an' she double-crossed me with that Learson guy right in front a my nose. And she has the nerve ta tell me she did it because she loved me while she thought I didn't love her!" his voice had risen at the end of the sentence, but lowered when he continued.

"I really loved her uncle Jesse, I actually… This may sound real dumb, but I really thought she was the one. She kinda reminded me of my mom, I mean, at least what I remember of her…" he trailed off, thoughts taking over his words while he ran one hand through his dark hair.

"I mean… It felt so," he seemed to search for the right word for a minute, "right. But thanks to my great ability, or disability," he snorted again, "ta show someone what they mean to me, I drove her away."

Luke fell silent for a minute, while Jesse just sat there, watching the boy berating himself for the mistakes Sarah had made.

"I just want ta forget everytin for now, an' I guess drinkin myself under the table made me forget. Well, for a while…"

"Now ya listen ta me boy, don't ever think it's your fault she did what she did. I know you's a closed off boy, but I saw you with that girl, and if she didn't see what she meant ta you, she's a darn fool," he grunted, earning himself the smallest of smiles from his nephew.

"But don't ever go an' drink yourself into oblivion again boy. I ain't against havin a beer or two for good clean fun, or even a glass of the finest shine when ya ain't feelin well. But don't ya use liquor ta drown yur sorrows, it's too darn dangerous," Jesse ended, his voice holding a great amount of pain, and even Luke, in his slightly drunken haze, could hear the grief behind those words. A frown appeared on his tanned face, and it deepened with every second as he tried to think of the reason of his uncle's obvious resentment towards Luke's drinking-behaviour of the past few days.

A sudden flash of his mother holding a bottle of dark liquor filled his mind and the urge to ask Jesse about that weird image was overwhelming. Maybe it was his own clouded mind making things up. But maybe it was some hidden memory of a time long forgotten.

"Uncle Jesse? Does this… ehh, I mean, does it have anythin ta do with my mom bein hit by a drunk driver?" Mentioning it he felt a pang of grief, something he always felt when he thought about his parents. He was so young when they died and he was happy with the family he had, but sometimes he missed having a mother or father. He remembered little things from his mother, her singing him to sleep when he had a nightmare. Her crying while holding him tightly in her arms after his father died. Her voice, her smile… Her drunken rages. 'Where did that come from?' Confusion wrote itself on his face as he looked up at his uncle.

Jesse sighed, he knew this day would come eventually. He had withheld for too long, and he could see there was something in the back of Luke's mind. Begging its release. And he made a decision. It could be one he would regret, but it was one Luke had the right of knowing. So he started his tale, he started it sitting in the same place where everything had started almost twenty-five years ago.

"Luke, there's somethin ya need ta know. I'm not sure if ya'll want ta talk ta me though when I'm done, but promise me ya will talk to someone, Bo or Daisy 'll always listen. Promise?"

**Friends, I'm gettin real confused here. But I'll bet ya this has somethin ta do with a little Duke history. Somethin else tells me that history ain't gonna be pretty…**

Luke felt more confused every second that passed. What could be so bad that would made him mad at uncle Jesse? Deciding that he would only get the answer if he complied, he answered yes.

So Jesse started his tale…

- o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o


	4. She put him out

_**A/N There is some minor swearing in this chapter… Ow, and lots of sadness ta come. I hope you'll like it, cause I've never written anything involving the Dukes family. I don't know the names of all the parents, but I'm goin along with what I think are nice names.  
Well, I hope you like it, now on to chapter 4... Enjoy!**_

4

"Luke, ya know how me an' yur aunt Martha always told ya bout how your daddy was killed in an explosion an yur mom a year later in a drunk driver accident?" Jesse asked, knowing he was only postponing the inevitable.

Luke nodded, urging his uncle to go on, even though he had no idea where this was going.

"Well, things weren't as simple as they seemed. But you was so young, only four when yur mom died, and we decided ya didn't need ta know the entire truth. Cause the truth, well, it was ugly."

Luke was even more confused after that statement and he couldn't keep quiet.

"Whatta ya mean uncle Jesse? Ya tellin me ya lied bout how my parents died?"

Jesse nodded solemnly, seeing how the wheels were turning in Luke's head. Not wanting to wait till his nephew spoke, he spoke up himself.

"Look son, the truth, it ain't pretty, but ya got the right ta know. So I'm askin ya, do ya want ta know what really happened?" he asked, still not entirely sure about his decision to come forward with this.

A thoughtful look came upon Luke's face, but it only lasted a minute. After all the strange nightmares which still haunted him from time to time, about fire and loud noises, feminine screams and his parents' faces, he needed to know what really happened.

"Jesse, I think I want ya ta tell me everythin…"

And with that sentence, he opened the deep dark hole, his uncle had kept closed for years.

"When yur daddy, my brother, met yur mom she was 17. She was as pretty as could be an' when Kevin saw her singin in the Boars Nest, he was head over heals in a matter o' seconds.

From then on those two were inseparable. If ya saw one of 'em, the other wouldn't be far behind. After two years a' datin, he asked her ta marry him right here on this cliff. An' it probably was the best thing ta do, cause two months later they's told us she was pregnant. After the weddin things settled in real fine. They bought a nice house on Jessup Road, an' prepared things for yur birth.

On a hot summer night, me an' Martha got the call that you were born. Two weeks early, but you was always the impatient one. When I saw Kevin that night, he looked like he swallowed a whole bucket a fireflies. Glowin all over, so proud of that little boy with dark hair, who was lyin against his momma.

Several months later he was still as happy as ever, seein ya grow so fast, already crawlin round the house and all. But yur mom… She seemed ta sink deeper an' deeper in her feelins of unhappiness. She was so young, only 20, an' she started ta feel like she had missed somethin in life. Her dreams of goin ta Nashville were gone, since she had a family now. And it was gnawin at her each and every day that went by. Don't get me wrong, she loved ya more then ya could ever know. She was jus… missin somethin.

And then she met John, an old friend of hers who had made it in Nashville. If she felt like she missed somethin before, that feelin multiplied when he came ta visit her. An' one night, when Kevin was workin late, she made a mistake…

# FLASHBACK #

"I can't believe yur so famous John! Ya know how we used ta play tagether at the Boars Nest? You were already so good back then…"

John, the dark-haired country star from Nashville, walked to the stove, helping Mary Duke with the roast she was making.

"Ya know what I can't believe Mary? That you have a husband and a kid. I always figured you'd be more famous by now than I am. Actually, I kinda hoped you an' me could have tried it in Nasville. I have this feelin that I'm missin something now."

Looking her childhood friend in his brown eyes, Mary saw something there, something she hadn't seen in a long time. Her old dreams were there, in the brown orbs, and she was drawn to them. She saw herself through his eyes, successful an' singing. As they drew her in, she faintly heard two-year old Luke playing in his little room. It stopped her for a moment, but the dream kept calling her. And as the two people drew closer, their lips met. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough for Kevin Duke to see when he opened the screen door.

The look of shock and guilt on her face was too much for him to bare, and all logic sense left his body at that moment. Turning around he hurriedly left the small house, started his car and roared off.

_ She put him out   
like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette  
She broke his heart,  
he spent his whole life tryin' to forget _

When he finally reached his brothers house, he had already downed one bottle of shine, trying to numb the pain of betrayal. He had given her everything! He worked so hard to provide for her and their son! She owned his heart, and now she had crushed it underneath her feet…

Stumbling into the dark house, he saw his younger brother, Jesse, just putting out the final light before going to bed. After seeing the pain in his brothers intoxicated eyes, Jesse knew something was wrong, but decided to just provide a bed for Kevin, questions could be asked later.

The next day Kevin told Jesse what he had walked in on the previous evening and Jesse could feel the anger and pain emanate from his beloved brother. And although he couldn't understand why Mary would do something like that, he also knew every story had two sides. So when he picked her up that afternoon, and heard her tale of the dream she was seeing when she kissed John, he understood what she had felt. He also saw the pain she was feeling over hurting her husband like that. It emanated from her, like the anger had radiated off of his brothers body that morning.

Jesse felt that if he could just get the two of them to talk to each other, things could get better, and Luke's parents would be able to reconcile. But when he saw the screen door open, revealing his completely wasted brother, his plans seemed to go down the drain.

"Whas that btch doin here!" Kevin yelled while stumbling into the dusty barnyard. Martha came running after him, giving Jesse an apologizing look, which told him she hadn't been able to stop her brother in law from drinking himself into oblivion.

As Mary stepped out, Jesse picked up little Luke who had been sitting in the backseat. He didn't get far and stood frozen by the car, as the scene in front of him enfolded itself.

"Kevin?" The small voice of Mary sounded through the drunken ranting of Kevin.

"I saw you! Kissin that-"

"Stop it!" Mary yelled suddenly, "I'm sorry Kevin, please listen ta me," she pleaded. Walking over to him, she stretched her hands out, reaching for him.

Slapping her hands away Kevin turned around, a deep pain evident in his clouded blue eyes, stumbling through the yard while mumbling under his breath.

"Kissin him… Saw it… Hurts…"

"Kevin! Please come back, I'm sorry, please don't go!" Mary pleaded, tears streaming down her face. The only other sound that could be heard were the slight cries a confused Luke was giving, while Jesse was trying to comfort the small child as the three figures kept standing in the yard, still as statues. Mary with her hands still outstretched, Martha with a look of shock on her face, and Jesse with Luke in his arms, cradling the young boy, as his family started to fall apart.

_ We watched him drink his pain away  
a little at a time  
But he never could get drunk enough  
to get her off his mind  
Until the night,_

_He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger  
And finally drank away her memory  
Life is short but this time it was bigger  
Than the strength he had to get up off his knees  
We found him with his face down in the pillow  
With a note that said I'll love her 'til I die _

The next few days were the beginning of the end, and if Jesse had known this, he would have tied his brother to a chair while keeping an eye on him twenty-four seven.

Kevin was always away, only staying with Jesse and Martha at night, when he was too drunk too move. The shine he was still delivering became his only salvation, downing a bottle a day he felt like he could forget her, forget everything. Until that night…

Mary had been staying at her own house for the past days, feeling guilty and sorry for her actions. She had realised how her dreams would always be dreams, but that she was living the best dream she ever had. A husband and a beautiful son. So on the fifth day of not seeing Kevin, she decided to try it one more time. Picking up Luke, she was about to leave the house, when she saw the familiar truck coming up the driveway. Her heart clenched with worry when she saw Kevin falling out of the drivers side, standing up with difficulty and stumbling over to where Mary and Luke were standing.

"I came ta say ta you…" he started maliciously, but when his eyes landed on Luke, he faltered. Reaching up one hand to touch the soft baby cheek, tears clouded his vision.

"Daddy," were the only words that were heard in that tender moment as Luke smiled a toothy smile at his father, causing tears to appear in his mothers eyes as well.

"Kevin," she uttered, "Please… Don't leave us, come back?"

This seemed to wake him from his daze, and pain appeared in his eyes once again. Shaking his head he softly kissed his sons baby-soft hair, turning around and stumbling for his car. Mary saw the shine in the back and worry settled itself in her heart.

"Kevin, please, go back to Jesse! Don't make a run tanight, you's drunk, Kevin, don't go baby, please!" Her yells were drowned out by the roar of the engine as the cries of her baby boy caught her attention. In that terrible second, a second where she was watching her son, the crunch of metal made her turn her head towards the awful sound which was followed by a loud explosion.

As Kevin had pulled off the driveway he drove erratically, jerking the wheel in anger as he swerved down the road, sensing the finality of that moment. He had lost her, he had lost her to himself…

Seeing the huge gasoline-truck in front of him, he did nothing, nothing but close his eyes as Mary's scream tore through the air…

**This story keeps gettin sadder an' sadder. I's wonderin what ol' Jesse got up his sleeve after this dramatic part o' that story of his…**


	5. Nobody knew

_**A/N Sorry it took me so long to get this up! School really knows how ta bug me right now, so writin isn't on my toppriorities list right now... But still, I can't not write! So here's a new chapter, a little more Luke in this one, so I hope you'll like! See ya!**_

5

"Nooooo!" the scream that had torn through the air now sounded raw and painful. But it continued.

The ball of fire should have warded her off, but it seemed to attract her even more. Slight explosions still filled the cooler night air with bursts of hot air. But she didn't care. With her child still in her arms, she ran, she ran as close as she could, until the fire scorched her arms and ember filled her hair.

The squirming shape in her arms was forgotten as she herself fell down on her knees, scraping them on the rocky ground. There was nobody there but her, her child and the remains of two vehicles, which were now beyond recognition. The heat of the fire made her eyes water as the tears streaked her face with black soot. And in that moment, she knew she would feel no more. She didn't even hear the large gulping cries her son made, as the ember burned his soft baby-skin. She only heard the roar in her ears, it could have been the roar of the fire, but she was sure it was the roar of her empty heart…

When Jesse got the call that there had been an accident near his brothers place, he didn't even falter. His big toe had been painful all day, and he knew something bad had to come out of that. Leaving a note for Martha, who was visiting her brother and sister in law, who had just given birth to little Daisy Duke, he left for Jessup road.

What he saw when he arrived there, would be forever etched on his brain. Smoke still billowed from the smouldering wreckage of two vehicles, one a large truck, the other a smaller car. And if that wasn't gruesome enough, there was another shape visible through the dark smoke which seemed to create an eerie fog.

There, only a few feet from the two wreckages, was Mary, sitting on her knees, clutching onto little Luke who was wriggling in her arms, while waving his own painful arms in the air and letting out gut wrenching wails. But Mary didn't even seem to notice. She was staring ahead, soot covering her face, while tears still ran from her almost empty looking eyes. If Jesse had to say what he felt when he touched her shoulder, he knew he only felt heartache, deep and painful.

As his own eyes filled with tears for his brothers fate, he saw the red blisters on little Luke's face, as the child kept screaming and screaming, the sounds almost sounding painful through the child's raw throat. Picking him up from where Mary was loosely holding him, Jesse saw the small burns covering the little boy's head and arms, as he soothed the small child. And in that moment, when Mary seemed to notice her arms were empty, she broke.

Large gut wrenching sobs escaped her small body as she curled up in foetal position, where she stayed until the ambulance personal took her away from the wreckage to leave her in the care of Jesse and Martha. There she stayed, most of the time fast asleep, a side-effect of the medication she had gotten to get over the shock. And as Luke seemed to bounce back over the next few days, both Jesse and Martha had to get up several times during the night to soothe the small boy after he had a nightmare, where he usually cried out for his daddy. The slight redness in his face and on his arms were the only reminder of the tragedy which had enfolded itself a few days earlier.

_ And when we buried him beneath the willow  
The angels sang a whiskey lullaby _

Five days after the tragic event, Kevin Duke was buried on the Hazzard cemetery. The Duke-plot, a beautiful piece of land on the cemetery was located on the top hill, luscious grass covered it as a large willow tree provided some shade. And that was were the entire Duke family stood that sunny afternoon. Jesse and Martha holding Luke as Mary was standing on her own, that empty look still in her eyes, as she let the first white lily fall in the freshly dug hole in which the casket was being lowered. She stayed there, until everyone was gone, until the sun lowered itself behind the hills, casting the sky in angelic colours like pink, red and blue while the birds whistled their evening song.

And there, she said goodbye to Kevin Duke, her husband, her lover, the father of her son, her dream…

_ The rumours flew  
but nobody knew how much she blamed herself  
For years and years  
she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath _

The year that followed was hard. Jesse and Martha who had lost a precious member of their family, were now almost constantly taking care of their little nephew. Mary had seemed to recover from the tragic event, but in that recovery she had taken a distance from her only son. During the week she mostly took care of Luke by herself, but when Friday came, she seemed to lose her energy and dropped him off at Jesse, only to appear again three days later. This went on for a long time. During the week they wouldn't hear from her as she stayed cooped up in her and Kevin's house with Luke, and after she dropped Luke off on Friday night they wouldn't hear from her either.

With Luke being three years old, going on four, he would sometimes talk about things that would raise questions in both Martha as well as Jesse.

"Unca Jesse?" The little dark-haired boy had asked one quiet evening.

"Why's you don't have tha smelly shiny bottle unda tha couch?" he asked, a childlike innocence to that strange question. Jesse wouldn't understand what Luke meant for a long time. The understanding that Luke had meant a shine bottle came only when they were cleaning out Mary and Kevin's house, when it was already too late.

The other thing Martha and Jesse had noticed from time to time was Luke's timid behaviour when he was in the house. It was as if he was always walking on eggshells, and for a three year old boy, that was strange, especially because he had always been so vibrant and loud… Martha had asked him once, why he was always being so quiet, and the answer was one she didn't like at all…

"If mommy wakes she'll be real mad. I don't like when mommy's mad…"

When Martha had told Luke that his momma wasn't here, and that he could be as loud as he wanted, the child had looked up with uncertain eyes, almost as if he didn't believe her. A small voice caught her off guard and brought tears to her eyes.

"So I's not hafta go in tha closet then?" he had asked, a small amount of fear in his bright blue eyes.

Martha had shook her head, silently giving him the acknowledgement Luke needed, and from then on he had changed a bit, playing louder and not tiptoeing around anymore.

And as Martha had spoken her worries out to Jesse, they were both always surprised how happy Luke always became when he saw his mom again on Monday or Tuesday.

The doubts were there, but Mary looked fine, as did Luke. If they had only known how much she still hurt, if they had only known how she would cry herself to sleep every night holding a shine- or whiskey-bottle, if only…

It was midwinter, more then a year after Kevin's death, when everything came out in an ugly way, a way no one had expected…

- o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o -

Luke Duke had been playing with his race cars. He was trying to be real quiet, his mom seemed to feel real bad today. He didn't even get to go to his Uncle Jesse and Aunt Martha anymore for the past few weeks. He always liked to go to his aunt and uncle. Sometimes his cousin Daisy would be there too, she was almost two now and the two were the greatest playmates. Even little Bo, the new baby his uncle Tom and aunt Stacy had brought with them the last couple of times, was fun to be with. It had lots of blonde curls and always tried to grab on to Luke's dark hair.

A bang from the kitchen caught the little boy's attention. His momma was probably trying to cook dinner again…

Making a face, Luke hoped that wasn't what she was doing. Usually when she was being all wobbly and all, she couldn't seem to make something nice. Luke always hid the food in his shirt and threw it out after dinner. She didn't notice. Most of the time she fell asleep at the table anyway.

Putting his cars away Luke decided to play outside for a few minutes, if his mom was throwing things around, he'd best get out of the way…

An hour later darkness started to settle in and four-year old Luke saw that the lights were still out in the small house he and his mom lived in. And even though he was only four, he knew that his mom always turned the lights on when darkness settled in. She even slept with her lights on. And if Luke was sleeping in the bed with her after he woke from a nightmare or something, she even allowed him to keep the hall light on.

Sauntering over to the silent house a shiver run over Luke's back so he pulled his jacket a little tighter around his tiny shoulders. Walking past the chickens he gave a slight yell, startling them into a flurry of feathers.

Grinning over his chicken-scare tactics he pulled the door open. The darkness in the house now became a little scary, and Luke carefully stepped in. All the furniture seemed to claw at him as it towered over him from were it was standing in the rooms…

Tears started to form in his eyes, but he held them back. Big boys don't cry… Biting his lip he tried to stop them. The house was completely silent, and Luke wondered if his momma had just fallen asleep again.

"Mommy?" he called as loud as he could. His voice came out all funny though, the fear in it made it tremble. Standing on his toes he turned on the living room light.

His eyes widened at the sight before him though. The reason why all the furniture had looked so weird, was because it was scattered all over the room.

Jumping over the overturned couch he tried to find his mom, but she wasn't there. The kitchen was next, but when he stood in the doorway of it, he knew she couldn't be in there. Glass was scattered all over the place and it smelled funny. Sniffing the air, Luke recognised the smell of the shine his uncle Jesse always made. Scrunching his nose, Luke turned around, maybe his mom was asleep in her bedroom. Yawning a little, Luke felt sleepy himself. As the low grumble of his stomach let itself known, he knew going to bed was probably best. If his mom had been drinking from those bottles again, there would be no dinner, again…

Small feet carried him to the door of his momma's bedroom, and he thought how weird it was that it was closed. She usually left it ajar, so Luke could come in if he had a bad dream or wanted to snuggle in with her. Reaching up, Luke turned the doorknob, wincing as is made an awful squeaking sound.

He pushed the door open a little, seeing the bed was empty. He was about to shut the door again, until something caught his eye. A few bottles littered the ground, but he could clearly see… Getting over to the other side of the bed by going over the bed, he swallowed his fear of monsters under the bed. Maybe they took his momma!

Panic settled in as Luke thought about how they would have pulled her under the bed, eating her alive. She wouldn't be able to do anything about it, cause those monsters were so strong!

Tears started to cascade down Luke's cheeks, as he slowly looked over the edge of the bed.

"Mommy?" he asked as he saw the hand, attached to his momma's arm, which was attached to her body which was lying on the floor. She was there! And in one piece! They hadn't eaten her!

Luke sighed a big sigh of relief, but then he noticed the smell. Ugh! That shiny stuff she drank almost every day. But smell or not, he felt like he had to wake her.

Climbing off of the bed, he gently nudged his mom, she would be happier if she slept in her own bed. Nudging her a little harder, he noticed she didn't even wake.

"Mommy, wake up," Luke said, seeing how she didn't respond. What little Luke didn't see in the slight darkness of the room, were her blue lips and white skin.

Seeing how he didn't get a respond, Luke yawned again, laying himself next to his mom's still body. He would just sleep a bit, and then his mommy would be awake when he woke up.

Curling up into her still warm form he stuck his thumb in his mouth, and slept…

_ She finally drank her pain away  
a little at a time  
But she never could get drunk enough  
to get him off her mind,  
Until the night _

**I'm a thinkin there's a good reason why Luke don't remember his parents real well… An' this probably had a lot ta do with it. Maybe uncle Jesse should have kept all this nasty things buried, cause I'm a guessin this 'll cause a lot a old feelins ta surface again…**


	6. The same ole willow

_**A/N I'm baahaack! Sorry it took me so long to update, but I had serious writers block, a broken computer, a vacation to take and a temp job at Mac Donalds to do... So I was a little busy, but I hope this chapter will be at least a little satisfying for now, there's more coming, inlcuding some action and tragedy... Anyways, thanks for reviewing everyone, and enjoy!**_

6

_ She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger  
And finally drank away his memory  
Life is short but this time it was bigger  
Than the strength she had to get up off her knees  
We found her with her face down in the pillow  
Clinging to his picture for dear life _

When Jesse and Martha hadn't heard from Mary nor Luke for three weeks, they started to worry. Jesse had driven by a few times the past weeks, but everything seemed fine. Except for that evening…

Martha had been fidgety all day, and after dinner Jesse decided to just check on them to be sure.

Arriving in his white pick-up he noticed the door was opened wide. That wasn't right. Mary was never that careless anymore, after three-year old Luke had wandered off one day and had been lost for two days. They were lucky enough to find him, hiding in an old Indian cave, shivering from the cold, but alive.

Stepping out of the truck, Jesse walked to the quiet house. Entering, he could already smell the foul smell of alcohol. He had noticed it before, but never this strong and stale. Seeing how the kitchen was a mess, with broken bottles everywhere, panic started to seep in his veins. Turning his head around he saw the opened bedroom door. At first, he didn't notice the two figures lying there, but after stepping closer he could see them. The sight was almost heartbreaking, as Jesse immediately saw something was wrong with Mary. Her body was too still, too white. In contrary to Luke's, whose chest was moving up an down, while he was suckling his thumb. The little boy had snuggled into his mothers chest, curling up on himself and was sleeping peacefully.

Jesse felt his heart clench as he slowly walked over to the two figures. Bending down he saw the blueness of Mary's lips and the foam which seemed to cover her chin and lips. Afraid to do so, but knowing he had to, Jesse placed his fingers against her neck, checking for a pulse.

A gasp escaped his lips as he felt nothing.

"Dear lord, please no," he whispered, stumbling back a few feet.

The scene in front of him, of the little boy, sleeping in his dead momma's arms… Of the picture her cold hand was clutching, while her other arm was limply hanging over her son, would haunt him for the rest of his life…_  
_

_ We laid her next to him beneath the willow  
While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby _

**Goshdarnit, this story just ain't gonna win points in the Hazzard's happy ever after contest… I'm a wonderin what Luke 'll say bout the whole new view he got on his kin.**

"We buried her next to yur daddy, an' it was like our dear lord had seen everythin that happened, cause the day we took her to her final restin place, the rainin' stopped as the clouds disappeared ta make room for the sun again…"

As uncle Jesse finished with those final words he sighed, before he turned darkened eyes to his eerily silent nephew. Seeing the blank look in those blue eyes, he knew…

By keeping all of this a secret he had ruined it. Ruined the bond he had he had with his eldest, and ruined the picture he knew Luke had of his own childhood and family. Sitting there, darkness falling around them like a heavy blanket, he saw it was also covering the eyes of the boy sitting next to him.

Jesse sighed.

"So there it is… Ya wanted ta know the truth, an' this is it. I'm sorry ya never knew this, but ya hafta know Luke, we kept it a secret for yur own good, an' I ain't sorry for keeping it that way…"

When silence was the only response Jesse got from the slumped form sitting next to him, he turned his eyes up. And after seeing the accusation in those clouded eyes, he knew Luke would probably never forgive him.

"Luke…"

"Don't."

Jesse felt his muscles tense at the raw pain and betrayal that was apparent in one single word. This would not be solved overnight. He knew that, and Luke probably did too, because he stood up, wobbling a bit, as he started walking into the darkness of the night.

"Luke…" Jesse tried once more, but he only saw the back of his nephews head, shaking as if he didn't want to know.

-o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o -

_At the Duke farm_

Bo and Daisy had been sitting at the table for hours, both picking at their food, and both refusing to go to bed.

"Ya think everythin' is alright?" Daisy asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Bo sighed, worry and uncertainty were battling within him, fighting for a hold on him. Looking up at his cousin, who was biting her lip at the moment, he knew they had to let Uncle Jesse deal with this one.

"Yeah, I think so, we jus' hafta wait for Uncle Jesse ta get home…"

As soon as he had spoken those words, they both heard the pickup pulling up next to the house. Their eyes met and both of them flew up, with Bo knocking his chair over as they made their way to the door.

When it opened, the first thing they saw was the top of their uncle's head. It was bowed as if he was ashamed.

"Uncle Jesse?" Daisy asked softly.

Bo wasn't as slow with words however.

"Where's Luke? Did ya find him? Is he okay? What happened?"

By the time he was done asking questions he was out of breath. But his uncle hadn't answered one of them…

He slowly made his way through the kitchen, looked up at the picture of all of them, including Luke standing in the living room, sighed and made his way to his bedroom.

Daisy and Bo exchanged worried looks, their uncle looked ten years older and walked like he was too tired to hold his own weight. They knew that he wouldn't tell them anything now, and that if there would have been something important for them to know, he would have told them before he retreated himself.

Cleaning up the dirty dishes they both went to bed with heavy hearts. Something had happened tonight, and they were clueless to what it was that made Luke stay away and Uncle Jesse to close himself off like that…

- o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o -

The following morning Bo was awakened for the second time in two days from a troubled sleep, by a rustling in the quiet house. Cracking open one eye, he saw that dawn was breaking, but the sun wasn't up just yet. Hearing his bedroom door open slowly he pretended to be asleep. That could only be one person… Luke.

The figure started to rummage through some dressers and the closet, and when Bo heard a bag being zipped he suddenly knew what his cousin was doing and he sat up straight right away, scaring Luke who dropped the bag he was holding.

"Jeez cuz, don't scare me like that!" he exclaimed with a whispered voice.

"Scare you?" Bo whispered back, "Who's scarin' who with the whole sneakin' round the house thing. An' where were ya last night?"

Luke turned his eyes down, and Bo saw the strain in the face of his cousin. There was also something else there. It looked like a deep sense of failure…

"I can't tell ya right now Bo, but tell Uncle Jesse I had ta go for a while."

"Yur goin away?" Bo said loudly, cringing at his own loudness.

But it was already too late. As Luke was turning around to make a hasty exit, the exit was already blocked. By the same man he was currently running from.

"Uncle Jesse!" Bo exclaimed, "I don't know what's goin on, but you've gotta do somethin… He's leavin!" he said, confusion written on his face.

Putting on the light, ever so slowly, Jesse shook his head gravely.

"If he thinks he's gotta go, he can go," he said in a gruff voice. Turning his eyes towards his eldest nephew he showed him all the love he felt for him, "He knows he can always come back here…"

Luke had been quietly looking down until his uncle said that. He felt so confused. Finding out that your parents were so different then you had pictured them was one thing, but knowing that the person you considered your father for so long, lied to you your entire life, was even worse.

When he looked into his uncle's eyes, he saw the love that was still there, but he felt too confused, too betrayed to even think about that right now. He knew he needed some time. Time to sort things out, to try and find that sense of family again.

Turning his head to his cousin, he shook his head apologetically.

"I'm sorry Bo, but I just… Can't be here right now. Things just hurt too bad. I hafta do some soul searchin, I guess. Find out if I really want to be a Duke, an' if I do, where do I fit in?"

For once in his life, Bo Duke was speechless. His mouth hung open as a fish on dry ground, trying to process what Luke had just said about being a Duke.

"You… Why… I mean… Ya don't wanna be a Duke anymore?" he asked, sounding like a lost puppy.

"I don't know what I want, I jus know I hafta get away from the farm for a while. So, ehh," Luke didn't know what to do anymore. His uncle was standing in the doorway, watching him with love and compassion in his eyes, his cousin was still sitting on the bed, not understanding what was going on around him. And to top it all off, Daisy had just appeared behind their uncle, watching the scene unfold without saying a word.

He had to go… Now.

"Goodbye."

It was the only thing he could say before Bo launched himself into him. Grabbing his cousin tightly as if he wanted to keep him there by force.

Luke returned the hug just as tightly, feeling tears form in his eyes as Bo told him that he understood.

"Whatever it is that's wrong cuz, I hope ya work it out, an' come back soon, cause I'll miss ya real bad…"

"I know Bo, I know, me too…" were the only words that Luke could force through his constricted throat right now.

Suddenly another pair of arms fell around the two boys. Slender arms, attached to their pretty cousin Daisy.

After a minute they pulled back and Daisy watched Luke intently.

"I don't know what's wrong sugar, but ya know we will be here. So ya come back real soon, ya hear?" she said, smiling through her tears.

Luke nodded, his clear blue eyes filling up again.

"Yeah… I hope I can come back… soon."

Turning to his uncle, Luke nodded, "I'm sorry Jesse, but I hafta do this."

"Ya know what this reminds me bout?" his uncle asked, seeing Daisy and Bo standing together and Luke standing alone, holding his bag clutched against his chest.

"You leavin for the Marines… You jus make sure ya know yur way back son. We will be here," he ended, leaving the room, and giving Luke the room to make his exit.

Luke nodded, head down as he left the room, not looking back. The only thought that filled his mind was the one that told him to go.


	7. Twist and turns

_**A/N Because you had to wait soo long for my uploads, here's a little present for y'all: another chapter! And a special one it is, it's the one that turns the entire story around, as well as the lives of our favourite Dukes... Enjoy as always!**_

7

**If y'all missed what happened a few hours back, ya sure missed somethin… Luke has packed up an' left, leavin behind two clueless Dukes an' one feelin mighty guilty. Let's see what they's bein doin since…**

That morning, none of the Dukes slept anymore, and as Daisy was just about to start breakfast, Jesse asked them all to join him in the living room.

Then and there, he told them what he had told Luke. About his parents, the reasons for keeping it from Luke and Luke's reaction.

When he was done, Daisy had tears falling down her cheeks and Bo looked flushed.

"How could ya do that uncle Jesse?" The accusing tone in his voice offended Jesse and he took on a defensive tone.

"You listen here boy, I always did what I thought was best for Luke and you two. I know I made a mistake by not tellin him, but I did what I thought was best…"

Bo blushed a little, seeing how his uncle had misunderstood his anger. It wasn't directed at him, but at Luke's parents.

"Uncle Jesse, I know that. We both know that. An' believe it or not, even Luke knows that. I was thinkin bout Luke's parents, an' I guess I got kinda mad at them."

Jesse was confused, "Why on earth would you be mad at two dead people Bo?" he asked seeing how Daisy was going to explain herself and Bo.

"I think what Bo means, is that they were pretty self absorbed if ya ask us…"

When Jesse started to protest, to defend his brother and sister in law, Bo took over again.

"Think about it uncle Jesse. How would ya feel if yur parents didn't think you were worth livin for. They rather drove themselves to their deaths than be there for their child… I know I would feel pretty damn lousy an' inferior."

Jesse didn't know what to say after those words. Bo really hit the nail there. A nail Jesse hadn't even spotted yet. He was so busy with his own lying, and the consequences of that lying, that he hadn't even thought of that option. And thinking about it… Luke would feel that way, of course!

Sitting a little straighter Jesse nodded at Bo and Daisy, "Ya know, you kids can be pretty darn smart if ya want to… Now go do yur chores," he ended.

"But what about Luke?" Daisy asked, needing to know what they were gonna do to get their wayward cousin back.

"We'll leave him be for a while, he'll find his way back home, don't ya worry bout that. An' then we'll jus be there for im…"

And with those words, Jesse stood and left the house, fully intent on feeding the chickens and starting the morning chores. Even though his heart was still heavy with contradicting emotions, he could see a silver lining starting to appear behind the grey clouds which had been surrounding him.

- o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o -

_Two weeks later_

Life on the farm went by quickly. And seeing as Luke took the General on his trip, Bo was often in the Boars Nest, helping Daisy, before they could go home in her jeep or Jesse's truck. Jesse had lightened up a little bit, even though they all missed the one person who wasn't there with them…

On the other side of the Hazzard-area a small tent stood next to a beautiful creek. Luke sighed as he looked over it. He knew he had to go farther away from Hazzard, but his heart wouldn't let him. He had been to Atlanta for a week, earning some money by working at a local garage. But he was now back on the county line, missing the area he grew up in too much. But it still felt like he was on the other side of the world. The fruit he had found that morning was sitting in front of him, begging him to eat it, but he wasn't hungry. He hadn't been hungry for two weeks now. The aching in his chest was still the same and the betrayal rested comfortably in his stomach.

But most of all, he felt unwanted. Was he so unimportant to his parents, that they didn't think of him when they drove themselves to an early death? Didn't they care about him? He knew he was a difficult kid, but he also knew he was a happy kid. Did they leave him because he wasn't worth it?

Questions poured over him, and he didn't know how to answer them. The people who could were long dead.

And why did he feel like his last name didn't fit him no more? Did he still want to be a Duke? Dukes stick together, they don't lie to each other, they have family honour… Could he still believe those family values now? Now that his whole life seemed to be one big lie?

Lying down on the soft grass he threw away the apple he was eating, causing it to land in the creek in front of him.

He needed more time…

_The Boars Nest_

"I jus' think Boss should give one little percent more, but I guess that's too much to ask that little fat man…" Daisy said, turning to the man standing next to her, helping her clean up the empty bar.

Looking up she saw he probably hadn't heard one word she had said. Bo was cleaning the glass he had in his hands for about five minutes now, and he was staring ahead, not seeing what he was staring at…

"So I told him you'd work as his driver, so we could get the extra percent of the tips…"

No reaction.

"Ow, an' he also offered ta pay ya for it…"

That seemed to pull him out of his stupor. "Huh? Boss payin someone ta do somethin?" he asked, seeing Daisy look up at him with eyes full of laughter.

"Yur playin me, aren't ya?" he laughed, throwing the dishrag at her, which she ducked away from.

The two of them wrestled for a bit, before Bo suddenly stood up.

Seeing his serious expression, Daisy guessed what he was thinking about.

"Luke 'll be fine Bo, ya know that don't ya?"

Bo looked away, nodding slightly, "Yeah, but… I don't know, I jus have this feelin that he needs ta get back. Us Dukes need ta be tagether, cause when we're not, things tend ta happen…"

He wiggled his eyebrows at Daisy before splashing her with the water he had been cleaning with.

Daisy avoided the antics and smiled a big smile. Bo always needed to lighten up the mood when it was down. And even though she knew he missed Luke, probably even more than she and Jesse did, she also knew he would keep the spirit up and keep going. And if he could do that, she knew Luke would be back real soon.

Little did she know faith was helping her, but not in the way she would have wanted…

_Boss Hogg's office next door_

"Now you listen ta me Macky, you didn't do yur job right, so I ain't payin ya!" the fat little man said to the man towering over him.

Boss' puffy face was set, but a small amount of fear was showing through the façade, as the thug in front of him stood just a little straighter.

"Now you listen to me little man," he said, grabbing Boss' meaty throat in one hand and lifting him up a few inches, "You're paying me, and if ya don't… Well things can happen to a man and his bar…"

Wiggling his toes, which were dangling above the ground, Boss wriggled out of the thug's grip, inching back a little from the man.

"Now, now, easy there Macky. Ya know I have a sheriff guarding the back door now don't ya?" he said, feeling like he had the upper hand again. That is, until he saw the object Macky held in front of him.

"Yur not gonna use that now do ya? I mean, ya could blow up this entire place!" Boss exclaimed, seeing the explosive dangle in front of him.

"Well, that depends on it… Are ya gonna pay me or not?"

Knowing he had the money, but not willing to give up yet, Boss shook his head.

"Are you crazy? I don't have that kinda money in here, you jus hafta come to my office in town for that…"

"And giving you the chance of putting me in jail there? Yeah right… Say goodbye to your little establishment Hogg," Macky said before throwing open the office door and throwing the explosives into the bar.

Taking advantage of Boss' shock, he hurriedly left the Boars Nest, with Boss hot on his heels.

In all the commotion he had clean forgotten that two Dukes were still inside.

_Inside_

After the fooling around with the dishwater, Bo and Daisy were almost done cleaning up for the night.

Hearing the commotion coming from the office next door Bo looked questioningly at Daisy.

"Don't bother Bo, there's always someone in there makin a ruckus with Boss, if it isn't Boss himself…" she laughed.

The two Dukes were surprised however when the door flew open, but no one came out. The only sound they heard was the rolling of some object they couldn't see until it reached Bo's feet…

Looking down he recognised the explosives immediately, and while panic filled his body and mind, he responded the only way he knew, by taking action.

"Daisy jump!" He yelled, turning towards her while taking her hand. They had just enough time to jump up, trying to find their way over the bar to take cover behind it. But the deafening sound behind them and the gust of mind numbingly hot wind that followed, tore through the two people, ripping Bo's hand away from Daisy's as they flew through the air, both landing with sickening thuds. And as Daisy tried to stay awake, the pain in her head luring her to darkness, she only saw a little bit of the destruction around her, before letting the darkness consume her mind.

**Oh boy… Y'all didn't see that one comin, did ya? Well neither did I… I sure hope them Dukes 'll be alright, 'specially since one's already missin.  
An' am I the only one thinkin Boss Hogg can be real fast if he wants ta? That little man is dumb but fast…**


	8. Gettin perspective

_**A/N Well, I said bye bye to Mac Donalds, cause payin me so little for so much work? That ain't right... So, more time for writing! I sure hope you'll like this chapter, cause it took me a while to think where I was going with this story. But I think I've got it outlined by now. So, thanks for all your kind reviews, and keep on reviewin! Enjoy**_

8

When Boss Hogg ran out the back door he bumped into his sheriff who was standing there, looking dumbfounded at the thug rushing away.

"Roscoe! Move! It's gonna blow, now get outta my way!" Boss yelled as Roscoe rushed after him.

The explosion that followed rocked the ground around them, as the two threw themselves on the ground, hands covering their ears.

As the dust settled around them, Roscoe sat up slowly, looking at Boss' reddened and definitely angered face, he swallowed hard.

"Ehh Boss, what jus' happened?" he asked, ears still ringing from the loud blast.

"What happened? What happened!" Boss yelled, his face getting even redder. Roscoe was almost expecting steam to come out of his boss's ears.

"Macky happened! That thug ruined my pretty Boars Nest! If I get my hands on him…" he said before slowly turning around. That wasn't… No, they were long gone… Were they?

"Roscoe?" Boss whispered slowly, "That ain't Daisy Duke's jeep ain't it? She left already right?" he asked fearfully.

Roscoe felt like a stone had settled inside his stomach as he saw Daisy Duke's jeep standing there. Which could only mean one thing…

"Boss," he said seriously, leaving away his nervous giggle, "I think they were still inside, cause I haven't seen them get out…"

Shock was imprinted on Boss Hogg's face. He didn't like those Dukes, but he never meant for them to get hurt.

Standing up from the dusty ground, he ran towards the ruins of his café as fast as his chubby legs could take him.

"Roscoe, you call Enos, an' tell im to get here, now! An' also call in medical reinforcements, we're probably gonna need them. But first we need ta get them outta there!"

Rushing over to the ruins of the building he saw a way to get in, and he saw Roscoe following him after putting back the CB in his patrol car.

"Boss! Over there!" Roscoe exclaimed, seeing one slender arm sticking out from under some rubble at the far end of the still standing wall.

Getting there seemed to be another problem as the place was falling apart around them. Pieces of roof came crashing down around them, leaving nasty bruises and splinters, but they kept going.

Reaching the person who was laying on the ground next to the smashed jukebox, Roscoe quickly felt for a pulse. And he was relieved he found a strong one.

"Boss, help me get this stuff off of her," he said, sounding so full of authority Boss quickly did as asked.

"Oh my…" Boss exclaimed upon seeing Daisy's battered face and body. She had a big gash on her forehead and several cuts and bruises covering her body. And those were only the visible injuries.

"We need ta get her out of here," he said, pulling Daisy slowly over his shoulder. Puffing a little he told Roscoe to go search for Bo, for he knew he had been there too. After Luke had left, those two stuck together like real Dukes. And while he had always thought Daisy was being left out a little, these past few weeks had proven that Bo and Daisy were as close as Bo and Luke could be.

Roscoe nodded solemnly, knowing the building was about to collapse. They had to act fast.

Scanning the floor around him he only saw pieces of wood surrounding him. The bar was still standing, even though everything around it seemed ruined. Broken pieces of glass were lying on top of it, as well as… wait a minute, a piece of yellow fabric. That could only mean one thing!

Roscoe P. Coltrane immediately recognized the piece of cloth, and knew he had to get over to the bar. Bo Duke had to be there somewhere…

Roscoe cringed as a particularly nasty piece of wood splintered as it fell a few inches away from him.

He reached the bar unscathed, but knew that the way out from here, was difficult. But first he needed to find Bo…

All of a sudden his foot hit something soft. Looking down he recognised a boot. A boot, firmly attached to a leg, which disappeared beneath two big pieces of wood and other rubble.

"Bo!" Hearing the other voice a few feet away from him, Roscoe jumped up. He was relieved to see it was Enos.

"Enos, get over here! I found im, but I need yur help ta get him out," Roscoe yelled, knowing Enos could hear him and would be over within seconds.

"I'm a comin sheriff…" pause, "I'm here!"

The exclaim coming from next to his ear made Roscoe jump up angrily.

"Enos! You dipstick! Stop scarin me like that…" his tirade flattened out a little, as he saw Enos' diverted eyes being attracted to the foot lying beneath them.

"Sherrif?" He asked softly, "what happened?"

Looking in the younger deputies eyes, Roscoe saw the worry and panic settling there. He knew he had to calm Enos down a bit, or he would be of no help.

Putting one hand on his shoulder he spoke in a soft tone, "Enos, we've gotta stay calm now. Somethin exploded in here, an' we already got Daisy out. Now, ya gotta stay with me here an' help me get Bo outta here, okay?"

Enos would have been amazed to hear those words from Roscoe P. Coltrane, corrupt sheriff and dimwit extraordinaire, hadn't it been for the dangerous situation they were in right now. He nodded slowly and turned his attention to the foot they could see.

Outside they heard the sirens of the ambulance, which had already arrived. They both heard the rumbling of the building and they knew they had to work fast.

Picking up the loose rubble which was covering the young Duke boy they slowly uncovered him bit by bit. They kept working, beads of sweat forming on their heads, until there was only one large piece of structure covering Bo's lower body.

"Enos, we gotta get this beam of of him, so we's gonna use all our strength now," Roscoe breathed, not used to the effort of lifting heavy thinks. But after seeing the pale face of one of the most vibrant people he had ever known, he knew they had to hurry. There wasn't much time left.

"On three! One… Two… Three!"

Muscles were being strained, as arms shook with the power surging through them. Lifting the heavy beam, inch by inch, they got it high enough to move it backwards, over Bo's legs and on to the damaged floor.

"We got it sheriff! We got it!" Enos yelled, seeing how the paramedics were already waiting for them on the outside of the ruins.

"Sir, please take the victim out, slowly! There's a fair chance of collapse, so please move cautiously but try to get here fast," the paramedic said, pointing to the beams dangling from the damaged ceiling.

Roscoe and Enos both nodded, this time, there were no comebacks about being ordered around or something. Even Boss Hogg was standing still, looking at the scene in front of him with a grave look on his chubby face.

Together, the sheriff and his deputy cautiously picked up Bo, trying to move him as little as possible, as they made their way out of the crumpled building.

They were halfway there when the rumbling intensified. Pieces of roof started falling down again, as well as large chunks of glass from the bulbs which had sprung after the explosion.

Enos cringed when one piece of sharp glass flew past his nose, only to end up sticking out of the ground, dangerously sharp edges glinting in the bright light of day.

He was hauled out of his reverie when he heard Roscoe cough loudly.

"We're almost there Enos, jus' a few feet…"

Roscoe's plea was drowned out by the loud collapse of the back wall. The two man, with their precious cargo hanging in between, saw the domino effect it was going to cause, and with only one look between them, they made a jump for it, pushing Bo forward, right into the arms of Boss Hogg.

The county commissioner would have normally recoiled of a Duke touching him, but this time he caught the slumped form as gently as he could, laying him down on the sandy ground where paramedics immediately started to work on the wounded Dukeboy by getting his vitals.

Enos en Roscoe sagged to the ground together several feet away, while the building they had just come out of, collapsed completely, swallowing the bar, chairs and other furniture which had been lying around them mere seconds ago.

But they didn't give the collapse any attention. Their attention was focused on the feminine form lying in the ambulance, but most importantly the one the paramedics were now frantically working on…

As they lifted him in the ambulance and closed the doors behind them, the last thing they heard was a frantic beeping and a shout from the paramedic…

"Hurry, we're losing him!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Lying there in the high grass, birds chirping and a slight breeze caressing his face and bare arms, Luke felt at peace. For a short moment his troubles seemed so far away. No betray of his own family, no feelings of rejection, worthlessness or shame. Just a clear mind, as he listened to the sounds around him, letting them fill him.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long before his mind took him to other places. A place where he had two parents, parents who loved each other, and him… But it had changed, when his momma made a mistake. A mistake she would pay for, with her life and the life of her loved one. She had turned away from his dad, and by doing that, she had left him to deal with things he couldn't deal with.

In some way, he understood why his dad turned to the bottle, and for some strange reason, he also understood how the man could see things so unclear he lost sense with reality. His father had been a victim. Of his own love, but also of the love of his wife. It burned him from the inside, and he made a mistake. Luke was convinced it had been a mistake. He hadn't wanted to die, he was drunk, and in the wrong place at the wrong time. He made a mistake.

The wheels in Luke's head were turning, they were turning hard, and somehow, things started to make sense to him as things were falling into place

His mom lost one of the most important people in her life. She tried to ignore her pain, and be there for Luke, lord knew she had tried.

Luke remembered one time when he had come home from his aunt and uncle, to find her with a brand new bike, just for him.  
She didn't smell, or act weird. Her cheeks had been a little red, and her smile had been bright when she had seen his reaction.

The pride he had seen in her clear blue eyes when he had kept riding and didn't even fall was something he would remember his entire life. Even now, he could clearly see her face, the dark hair falling over her eyes as the wind played with it, and the sparkle in her eyes while her full lips formed a broad smile.

She had lost her husband, and she couldn't deal with it.

Thinking about the important people in his own life, Luke did some soul searching. Would he survive? If something happened to his uncle, Daisy… Or Bo?

A frown clouded his face. What would he do? When he would lose someone so close to him? He knew he wouldn't be able to deal, close off and seek comfort. Weather it would be a family member of something bad like shine, was something he didn't know. And he didn't want to find out.

But still, the perspective was coming back to him. Through his own hurt and pride, he hadn't seen that side of his parents. The side with the undying love.

Sitting up, he found his train of thought was becoming lighter. The love they had had for each other had been so strong. Too strong. They couldn't deal with loosing each other, so they choose another path. A path Luke had trouble with. But somehow, he was now able to understand why they did what they did.

And now, for the first time in two weeks, his heart felt a little lighter. They hadn't resented him. They loved him. But they had loved each other more. And he could live with that.

Looking up he saw a few tiny clouds covering the bright sun. He grinned humorlessly at the irony of it. A large burden had been removed from his shoulders, but there was one other thing.

Duke honesty. Uncle Jesse had lied to him, and that was something he couldn't reason away. He desperately wanted to, but somehow he couldn't get rid of the feelings of betrayal.

He was just about to get up to get something to eat when the CB crackled to life. He had put it on the emergency channel, so he wouldn't be completely cut off.

When Enos Strate's cracking voice came on, Luke shot up, listening to what the deputy had to report. But when the words started to make sense to him, the only thing he felt was panic. Sheer and violent panic.

"Uncle Jesse? Are ya there? Please pick up, this is Enos!"

Uncle Jesse's voice came through like a dagger, edged with worry.

"This is Jesse Duke, what's wrong Enos? Is it Luke?"

A slight pause and a mumbling on the other side of the CB as Roscoe P. Coltrane's voice came through this time.

"Jesse, listen to me, this is Roscoe. There's been an accident at the Boars Nest. Yur youngins… Well they was hurt. Ya better meet us at Tri-County… Fast."

The immediate response his uncle gave, told the listeners he was already grabbing for his keys.

"I'm on my way."

Mumbling under his breath Luke jumped into the General, his thoughts only on his family as he left the campsite in a cloud of dust.

"Me too, uncle Jesse, me too…"

**Well folks, that ain't gonna be a joyful family reunion if ya'll ask me. 'Specially with two members lyin in a hospitalbed… Y'all don't go to the fridge now, this 'll probably git worse before it 'll it better…**


	9. Turnin it around

**_A/N Howdy y'all! Goshdarnit, I'm glad ta be back... No internet, tv or radio for 5 days can really crack up the muse for ya. And that's why it took me a while to get this up. But thanks to the new Season 6 Dukesdvd I found me some inspiration! Yeehaw!  
I now have a slight idea where this story is going, and where it's gonna end. I just don't know who's gonna live through it... Just kidding, I've been reading to many death stories lately, so don't freak out when I'll write one of those in the next couple of weeks.  
School is about to begin again on Monday, but I hope I'll have time to update regularly.  
Anyways, I hope you'll like this chapter, cause it's probably the chapter where everything changes, feelings are coming out and harsh words are being said. But in the end... Well let's not ruin it for ya okay? Just enjoy!_**

9

Tri-county hospital stood cold and high in the harsh midday light. To Luke's weary nerves it seemed distant and depressing.

He had driven like a madman, pushing the General to its limits. Luckily, no patrol cars had crossed his path as he had flown over Hazzards back roads.

After stopping the orange stockcar in front of the hospital he had just stood there for a moment. Rubbing his hand over his eyes, he let every possible scenario cross his minds eye.

Bo and Daisy were dead. His best friends in the entire world were laying in a cold room with blankets covering their bodies and they had only brought them here so Jesse could identify them.

They were hurt. His cousins were lying in a hospital bed, clinging to life as doctors worked hard to save them.

Maybe they were alright? A bump in the head? A few scrapes and bruises?

Shaking his head he banned every thought from his mind. There was only one. He had to get to his family. All of them.

And just as he was about to enter the waiting room, a white headed figure with a blue overall caught his attention, and he froze…

**I have a feelin there's gonna be a confrontation between them two. An' I sure hope both Dukes 'll get outta this in one piece. Cause there's two other Dukes who need their family right about now…**

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o - o

Uncle Jesse had reached the hospital in record time. Only to be told that the doctors were still working on both his nephew and his niece. He had already bumped into Roscoe and Enos, who had been on their way out, trying to track down the lowlife that caused this entire mess. They had explained what had happened, and Jesse's heart had fluttered at the thought of Bo and Daisy underneath the rubble and remains of the Boars Nest.

Turning around to pace some more, his eye caught the form with slumped shoulders standing in front of the glass door. A brooding but sad expression was etched on his tanned face. Immediately Jesse's heart went out to the obviously distraught man. The boy had been through a lot. Discovering the things about his parents, and the betrayal by his closest family…

Stopping his own train of thoughts, Jesse decided on his plan of action. His other youngins were hurt. And the most important thing now, was that they would be alright. He just hoped that the silent figure behind the glass door would feel the same way.

And as if Luke had heard his thoughts, he slowly opened the door. Avoiding any eye contact with his uncle, he made his way to the older man.

"Ehh…" Luke hesitated a second, his shame fighting with the feeling of betrayal. "How are they Jesse? What happened?"

Jesse frowned a little. Luke's tone had been soft. No uncle…

"I don't know Luke, they haven't told me anything. I jus' know they was in the Boarsnest when there was an explosion."

Luke could hear the frustration in his uncle's voice. Thinking it was partly because of him, he ducked his head in shame, but stubbornly sat down. Not saying anything.

They spent the next hour like that. Luke sitting down, staring into space, standing, sitting… And Jesse just kept pacing the hospital hall. They were there together, but both of them felt alone, with their thoughts to keep them company.

By the time Luke sighed for the umpteenth time, Jesse couldn't take the silence anymore and he turned around suddenly.

"Now you listen ta me boy," he started, causing Luke's head to shoot up, flinching back a bit from the tone of his uncle's voice.

Jesse saw the boy flinch. 'Darnit, that wasn't what I meant…' Softening his roughened voice he continued.

"I know you feel like I betrayed ya son. I even understand why ya needed ta leave. But yur family needs ya now Luke, all of them…"

He let the sentence linger for a while, seeing the conflicting emotions surge through his nephew's eyes. Looking at his feet, Jesse decided to give it one last try, the only way he knew.

"Yur still mad about our lyin' to ya, right?" he asked his eldest nephew.

Luke avoided his uncle's eyes at all cost. He felt ashamed, but he had to hang on to the anger…. If he didn't have his anger, he would be overwhelmed by emotions he didn't want to feel right now.

A slight shifting of the eyes, told Jesse Luke had heard him.

"I didn't want ta do this, but yur givin me no other choice…"

This time Jesse caught Luke's eyes, and held them firmly as he continued.

Yur angry at me for lyin to ya for years. Well, if that's the case, I have ta be angry at you too."

Luke gave his uncle a confused look. When had he ever lied to his uncle? And what could be compared to the lying his uncle had done for years?

Jesse saw the confused look, and he knew he had him. He continued slowly.

"I kept something for ya. And ya know I did for yur own good. I didn't want ya ta get hurt-"

"But-…" Luke started, until he was stopped by the look on his uncles face. It was filled with some sort of grief, but there was also accusation in there, and Luke had no idea where that came from.

"Now can you tell me you have never kept anything for us? Somethin' that would 've hurt us if we knew?"

When he saw the comprehension in Luke's eyes, he also saw he hit a nerve. Confusion was the second thing he saw in the sapphire blue eyes of his eldest nephew.

"How… I mean, I never told… Bo?"

Shaking his head Jesse continued.

"I figured you'd tell him eventually… But I already knew. Wanna know how?" He asked, seeing Luke's eyes glaze over a bit, as the memories seemed to take over his mind.

"One day… One day after you returned from 'Nam, Miss Tizdale came ta me. She didn't know you was back yet, and she looked like her world jus' ended. She handed me an official lookin letter. Said it had been lost in the mail for weeks. That she was so sorry…" Jesse paused for a second, recollecting his thoughts. He had been scared in those four years Luke was with the Marines. But he was never allowed to show it. He had to be there for Bo and Daisy, they had been too distraught already. Scared that their cousin wouldn't return. And that was the exact same fear Jesse had had all those years. So when Luke had returned, Jesse had been overwhelmed with a joyful feeling, even though he could see the trauma in Luke's clouded blue eyes. But when Emma Tizdale had given him the letter, he had been clueless. What could be wrong?

Luke saw how his uncle remembered those faithful years. Years where he had fought to survive, and somehow he knew. He knew his uncle had found out about what had happened in Vietnam. But he said nothing, just waited for Jesse to continue.

Coughing a little, Jesse continued, "She jus' gave me the letter an' left. By that time I was mighty curious, cause I had no idea what could be so bad. I had my boys with me as well as my beautiful niece, and they was all fine an' in one piece. But I was wrong wasn't I? You wasn't well… I'd noticed the limp Luke. I saw it, but thought it wasn't serious. After reading that letter, findin out ya'd been MIA for weeks, and were probably a POW, I knew."

Seeing the pain in Luke's face, he was almost sorry for letting it get so far. But he had started, and now he knew he had to finish it, let Luke know he wasn't angry, just concerned.

Putting a calloused hand on Luke's shoulder he was shocked by the shaking he felt. Looking at his nephew's face, he saw the barely controlled mask he was trying to keep in place.

"It's alright Luke, I know why ya didn't want ta tell me, or anyone for that matter. At first I was angry, angry at you, for not trustin us ta tell somethin so important. Angry at the Marines, for sendin ya to a place that was probably more like Hell then Paradise. But most of all I was angry at myself, for lettin ya go.

So when I saw ya sleepin with the lights on, I never said anything. I even let Bo take care of ya when ya had a nightmare, cause I knew…"

After he said that, he was surprised to hear a slight chuckle out of the boy standing next to him.

"What's so funny?" Jesse asked, flabbergasted by the contradicting emotions of his nephew.

"I always thought I was so smart, that no one would find out bout what happened, an' how scared I was those first weeks back home. But both you an' Bo knew somethin was wrong…"

Giving Luke a slight grin, Jesse understood what he meant.

"I'm sorry for not tellin' ya uncle Jesse. Like ya said, I did it ta keep y'all from getting hurt. I didn't want ya ta worry bout me…"

"Well that's just plain dumb," Jesse growled, "cause by now ya should know I always worry bout all of my youngins."

Luke's grin fell when Jesse mentioned his other cousins, as if he just remembered why they were here. And with his feet back on the ground, all the emotions he had tried to bury these past few hours were starting to let themselves know.

Rubbing Luke's shoulder Jesse sighed.

"I know son, I know. We jus' hafta pray they's gonna be alright."

This seemed ta hit a nerve with Luke, who had just let go of the anger he had felt towards his uncle. The whirlwind of emotions swirled inside of him, making his stomach feel like lead, and his heart like it was being crushed right then and there.

Turning towards his uncle, he let himself feel, everything. With glassy eyes filled with shame he grabbed the old man's shoulders, as if he was his lifeline.

"I'm sorry uncle Jesse… I'm so sorry…"

Jesse, who had seen it coming but was surprised by the intensity of Luke's usually controlled emotions, didn't waste a minute and took his nephew in a tight embrace. Stroking the dark curls, he hoped to calm Luke down a bit.

"I shoulda been there. I wasn't there… I shoulda been… I…"

The guilt which came free overwhelmed Jesse as he felt like someone dropped a blanket of grief over him. That boy was taking it all on shoulders that didn't need those kind of burdens. Knowing he couldn't make it go away, he started to sooth his nephew like he had done when he was just a little tike.

"Shh, there ain't nothing, we could 've done…"

Shaking his head, which was still buried in his uncle's shoulder, Luke continued with a muffled voice,

"I wasn't there. I shoulda protected them, but I was too busy with myself… What kinda person am I?" he finished as sobs took over his body again, not able to keep them back anymore.

Still stroking Luke's hair, Jesse sighed. This ran deep…

"You're a Duke," he said as he grasped Luke's shoulders so he could look him in the eyes, "An' Dukes are there for each other. Maybe not always, sometimes we need ta take care of ourselves first, so we can be there for each other later. An' yur here now, that's what counts. Ya hafta remember ya can't always be there for Bo or Daisy. They have their own lives, an' in them lives things like this can happen…" Jesse ended, not trusting his own voice. Not until he knew more about his family.

Sniffing a bit, Luke wiped away the moisture on his cheeks, feelin slightly ashamed, but a big part of him was a little relieved to have let it out. Oh, he still felt guilty about not being there for Bo and Daisy, but he was able to handle it now.

And as his thoughts quieted down a bit, one question kept coming back.

"What happened exactly uncle Jesse?" he asked, needing to know what had happened in those final seconds in the Boars Nest.

Letting his hands drop to his sides, Jesse looked up and Luke could almost feel the anger seep into his uncle's veins.

"From what Roscoe an' Enos told me, it seemed that some thug had a fight with Boss an' decided ta blow the place up. Boss an' Roscoe could barely get out before there was an explosion…" seeing the anger starting to build op in Luke again, he continued a little slower, "They had nothing ta do with it Luke. They didn't know Daisy an' Bo were still there. An' when they found out, they went back in an' got em out. They saved em Luke."

"Yeah, after they got them into trouble…" Luke whispered, letting go of the anger for the moment. He made a silent vow though, to catch whoever was behind all of this and bring them to justice. If it was his own justice or County jail, that was to be decided. And that decision laid with his cousins…

As if on cue good ole Doc. Appleby came through the double doors, followed by an old acquaintance, doctor Ramirez.

Both Jesse and Luke stood to greet the two men, but silence and furrowed brows surrounded them when Jesse asked the dreaded question.

"How are they?"

**Don't y'all hate them silent moments? Ya know the doc's gonna say somethin, the trouble is, it can be good or bad… Y'all know on which one I place my bet… Them Dukes can get into trouble, but they always get out of it right?**


	10. Visiting time

_**A/N It took me a while, but it's here! School has taken up so much time, writing was far from my mind. But hey, what are weekends for right? So here it is, the latest chapter, but I'll just stop blabbing now and let ya read. Enjoy!**_

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10

"How are they?"

Doctor Ramirez saw the strain in both of the men, the one old and grey, the other young, dark haired and with piercing blue eyes. He remembered when that young man had been the one lying in the hospital bed, and he had seen the bond this family had with each other. He knew he had to be fair.

"Mister Duke, Luke, we've got them stabilized for now, but I'm keeping them on ICU for at least one night."

Seeing the confusion in their eyes, he decided to elaborate on the injuries of his patients

"They were both pretty banged up when they were brought in. Daisy has lots of bruising and scrapes, but they're all superficial. She does have one nasty head wound though, an' we will have to wait until she wakes up, so we can see if there was any brain damage…"

Seeing the worried looks on the two faces before him, he knew this was only going to be harder. So he continued…

"With Bo, well we had a little more trouble stabilizing him. He had some internal bleeding from the debris which had fallen on him, and his organs and spine are very bruised right now. Further more, his arm is fractured badly and a serious concussion may threaten his brain right now. We are keeping a close eye on the swelling which will appear in the next few hours, and if it's necessary we will put in a drain to release the pressure the swelling will cause."

Luke bowed his head, shame filling his entire body. Shame for not being there for his cousins, shame for thinking of himself, and shame for leaving them like he had.

The tight grip his uncle had on his arm alleviated that shame a bit. He knew his uncle did not blame him for not being there, but somehow, somewhere a tiny voice inside of him, told him it was all his fault.

With tears smothering his voice, Jesse asked the doctor if they could see their family. And with a slight nod, dr. Ramirez showed them to the room both Dukes were lying in.

Seeing room 285 dooming up in front of him, Luke hesitated.

"You go in Uncle Jesse, I'll wait here."

Jesse, to lost in his own worries for his niece and nephew to notice the tightness of Luke's voice, just nodded slowly, before going in.

**That boy's beatin himself up over somethin he had no control over… I bet ya when he realizes that, he'll go after the one who really was responsible for all o this.**

Sitting down on the uncomfortable chair outside the room, Luke felt like he was drowning in emotions. Not too long ago he had been carefree as he bantered with his cousins and worked on the farm.  
Now, he had just forgiven his parents for leaving him alone, as they drowned themselves in their love for each other. He had even managed to bring up some understanding for his Uncle's betrayal, and along the way, he had discovered that Jesse knew about his time in a war camp in 'Nam.

And now, he could almost be saying goodbye to one of his beloved cousins, if not both of them. The very thought of that scenario made him feel sick to his stomach and he had to make a beeline for the nearest bathroom where he threw up, loosing his meager lunch in the hospital toilet.

After dry heaving for a while, he rinsed his mouth before returning to the hall where Jesse just got out of room 285, pale as a sheet while he heavily sat down on the chair Luke had vacated not so long ago.

Looking up at his eldest nephew, he grabbed Luke's hand tightly, seeing how this was effecting him too.

"Son, you've got to go in… Let 'em know you're here," he said, giving Luke a small shove towards the room.

Luke's hand felt heavy as it rested on the cool doorknob, and he hesitated a bit before turning it.

"You can do it Luke, jus' talk to 'em, let 'em know you're here, that's all," the older man spoke softly, giving Luke the strength to actually turn the knob.

The sight which met him was almost enough to make him turn around again. But uncle Jesse's words rang through his head, 'Let them know you're here now…'

He couldn't let them down again. And as he walked into the room, he silently swore to himself he would find the person who was responsible for this. Responsible for the two silent figures lying in beds which seemed to big for them. Responsible for the thick bandage covering Daisy's head, as well as Bo's. Responsible for the beeping of too many machines, attached with wires which curled out of marred skin like rattlesnakes posing to strike.

Taking the seat in between the two beds, Luke could keep an eye on both of his cousins, like he had always done. He was the one who had to be responsible, and take care of the younger two. And even though he had not done a good job preventing all of this, he was going to make sure he was here now.

Grabbing Daisy's limp, but warm hand, he rubbed it softly while he put his other hand on Bo's free and unharmed arm. Feeling the colder and clammier touch of the youngest cousin, he frowned, sending up a prayer for both of them.

And so he sat there. Holding on to his two cousins, the entire night, sometimes with his uncle, and sometimes without. But he stayed there.

He stayed until Daisy started to make a sound…

A sound, which was like music to his ears, even though it was just a slight mumble. Scooting over to her, he motioned to Jesse, who had been dozing in one of the chairs near the window.

"Uncle Jesse, she's wakin up," he whispered, not even knowing why he was whispering.

Together they bent over her, holding her hand as they guided her back to the land of the conscious.

Luke had never felt so relieved, when he saw those beautiful eyes opening ever so slowly. At first, they were cloudy, trying to focus on the faces before her. A second later fear showed in the blue eyes, but Luke quickly squeezed her hand.

"Daisy? It's okay girl, ya can wake up now, everythin is alright," Jesse soothed.

Immediately the fear started to disappear, only leaving questions in her eyes as she tried to speak.

"Wh- what happened," Daisy scratched, her throat feeling as dry as the land on a hot summer day.

"Shh," Jesse murmured, "it's okay… There was an explosion in the Boars Nest, but yur alright. Jus' rest now baby."

Luke couldn't speak, the lump in his throat too big right now. He just squeezed Daisy's hand and stroked her auburn hair.

When her tired eyes met his, a small smile covered her cracked lips, as she whispered his name in reverie, "Luke… Ya came back…"

Nodding slowly Luke returned the smile, although a bit watery, "Yeah, I'm back, now go ta sleep, I ain't goin nowhere…" he whispered.

And with those words, Daisy closed her eyes again, giving over to her exhaustion.

As Luke kept sitting there, rubbing his cousin's hand, Jesse got out of the room and called the doctor, who ushered them out of the room, so he could examine Daisy.

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Silence reigned the waiting room with Luke pacing and Jesse reading a magazine.

"Stop makin' me dizzy son, yur wearin out the carpet," Jesse said, his voice a little lighter then it had been before.

"What's takin them so long uncle Jesse?" Luke asked, not seeing the look his uncle got when he called him uncle Jesse again.

Jesse's response was cut of when the door opened and doctor Ramirez came out, wearing a frown on his handsome face.

Luke was with him in a second, "What's wrong?" he asked, sensing something was wrong by the look on the doc's face.

Looking up from the chart he was holding Dr. Ramirez motioned for a nurse, while turning towards Luke and Jesse.

"Well, Daisy seems to be alright. From what I can tell there's no permanent damage from the concussion. She's asleep now, and will be sore for a few weeks, but she'll probably be able to go home in a few days."

Jesse and Luke both sighed from the relief they were feeling now, but something was nagging at Luke's mind.

"It's Bo, right?"

Nodding slightly the doc gave the chart to the nurse, telling her to take care of it.

"The swelling to Bo's brain is worryin us, so we're gonna insert a tube to drain it, hoping this will prevent brain damage."

Luke swallowed hard as his uncle's hand clenched and unclenched around Luke's arm.

"Can, uh… Can we see him before ya…" Luke murmured, not knowing what to say at this awkward moment.

Knowing he was gonna let the entire Duke family down, the doctor shook his head.

"I'm sorry Luke, Jesse, but we have ta do it right now. They are already prepping him and a nurse is on her way to take him to surgery."

Stubbornly, Luke shook his head, already making his way to the door, before being stopped by a strong arm.

"Ya gotta listen to the doc Luke. I know how bad ya want ta see him, but if they don't put that drain in now…" Jesse let the sentence linger on, knowing Luke understood what he meant.

At that moment the door opened, and Luke and Jesse had to stand there and watch Bo being wheeled by, the pale complexion of his skin in stark contrast to the angry red marks on his face and neck.

Stopping for a second, the nurse gave the Dukes one moment with Bo.

Jesse bend over the bed, whispering something in his nephew's ear before kissing his forehead.

Luke just stood there, overwhelmed by the powerless feeling he was getting by seeing his vibrant cousin, so lifeless. Grabbing the cold and motionless hand lying on the bed, he sent up another prayer, while a decision formed in his jumbled mind. Mumbling against Bo's hand he made a vow, a vow he would keep, he was not about to let his cousin down again.

"I'll get the guy that did this to y'all Bo. I'll get him, an' make sure he pays. An' then I can be there for ya cuz… Always…"

Jesse hadn't noticed Luke's determined look, and was shocked when he saw Luke jump up after Bo was wheeled through the hall. Calling after the disappearing form of his eldest, he already knew what he was doing…

"Luke! Where ya goin!" he called.

Turning around, mid-stride, Luke's voice carried through the halls as he kept walking.

"I'm gonna catch me some scum…"

Letting himself fall into the nearest chair, Jesse frowned deeply. Praying to the good Lord above, all his youngins would be alright and in one piece. And silently, he also wished Luke was successful and would catch the lowdown fella that caused all of this mess…

"You jus' get back here son, you jus' get back here soon…"

**Friends an' neighbors, if ya think things can only look up from here, I've got me some ocean front property in Tennessee ta sell ya…  
**


	11. The hunt

_**A/N Blood, sweat and tears... That's what took this chapter from me. Well, and I guess I was kinda crushed when I saw the Dukes of Hazzard movie... Yuck! They turned poor Bo an' Luke into swearing Hilbillies with ADHD. I never got to the end of that movie, horrible! And Jessica Simpson as Daisy Duke? Hmmm, not my first choice.  
Anyways, as usual, schoolwork comes first, and writing stories only happens in the weekends for now. Ah well, I'll get there, I ain't sure when, but I'll get to the ending, I promise!  
Ow, and I've also been working on other stories, Bulletproof Dukes is in the making, I've got two chapters written up already and will probably be posting it in a week or so. It 'll be a story filled with action and excitement, yeehaw!**_

_**So, I'll stop yacking for now, and let y'all go on to the story. Enjoy!**_

11

After talking to Boss and Roscoe, Luke had found out Bob Macky was a hired thug who had done some not so clean jobs for Boss Hogg. That is, until he decided to steal from the little fat man. And Luke knew that people who stole from Boss, where out of his good grace. If he had any grace that is…

Luckily, Boss felt so bad about what happened, he had told Luke everything he knew. Like the fact that Macky was passing through Hazzard, on his way to Atlanta, and that he had stayed at the abandoned house on Jessup Road.

Taking his chances, Luke had let Boss know just what he thought of him, endangering his cousins like he did, before he left for Macky's hide out place. He had no illusions about what he would find. If Macky had any brains, he had left already. But Luke hoped he had left some clues to where he had left for.

Revving up the General Lee, Luke turned the corner at Jessup Road, driving up the small dirt road that lead to the old rundown house where so many of his memories were buried. After the death of the last resident, twenty years ago, the house had served as some sort of play house for the kids from Hazzard. Luke's mouth formed a tiny smile as he thought about the time him and Bo had dared each other to go in there to see who could stay in the longest. They had been so scared, but together, they had spent the entire night in the spooky old house. Trying to scare one another by making sounds or knocking on doors, they had had so much fun. And when morning came and they had both been awakened by the low growl coming from deep inside the house, they had taken each others hand and ran like crazy, leaving the house only to run straight home.

At that time, Luke hadn't known that spooky house had once been his home. The place where he had spent the first years of his life. The place where his momma kissed another man, where his father drove himself into an early grave. It was the place where he had found his momma, cold and blue, the place where it all ended and when his new life began. The irony of how Luke had to come here to find Macky wasn't lost on him and he slightly shook his head.

Climbing out of the General, Luke braced himself for what he would find at the creaky house. He hadn't been there for years, but somehow, this time, the house lost its spooky appearance. The only thing emanating from the house was a deep wave of sadness.

With a slight tingle in his spine, Luke stepped onto the porch leading to the entrance of the rundown house. The old wooden door creaked loudly as Luke gently opened it.

He stepped inside, taking in his surroundings, suddenly remembering how the furniture had loomed over him when he was so little.

And because of that short distraction, he didn't see the meaty fist flying through the air until it was too late…

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Bob Macky had heard the fiery engine enter the driveway, so he'd had time to hide himself. In the meantime, he scolded himself for coming back to this place. He had left when the dumb-ass sheriff and his deputy had come to bring him in, but decided to come back for his money. He had hid it in the basement of the old abandoned house, but hadn't had time to take it with him when the Hazzard law came to look for him.

Once he saw who came out of the orange stock car, a grin marred his roughened face. He recognized the man as family of one of the people who had been in the small bar he had blown up yesterday.

Revenge… Macky was a man who knew what that was and what it felt like. And he definitely recognized the look of revenge glowing in the dark-haired man's eyes as he stepped onto the porch.

Hiding behind the big oak door, he prepared himself for this fight. Bob Macky wasn't a man to walk away from one, and this one was gonna be good…

As the door opened, the person stood there for a moment, giving Macky the chance to size him up. Raising his fist he turned slightly before letting it land in the man's side…

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A grunt of pain could be heard as Luke bent over trying to catch his breath. He didn't get any time for that though, cause the same fist grabbed his collar and pulled him up, so he could see the man's eyes gleaming in the shadows.

"Macky…" Luke managed to spit out as the man threw him across the room, causing him to crash into the wooden table standing there as if it where waiting for Luke.

Getting up on one knee, Luke saw how the man was eyeing him up like al lion circling his prey. But Luke knew, he was no gazelle. And that was where that Macky fella was making a mistake. Like many people, he underestimated Luke, only seeing his short but sturdy frame.

Wiping the blood spilling from a small cut on his brow, Luke stood up slowly, eyeing the man in the same way.

"So you's the fella that blew up the Boars Nest," he said, trying to keep the all encompassing hate out of his voice and out of his heart. If he wanted to bring this man in, he had to stay in control.

The short barking laugh the tall and beefy man spit out sounded dark and mean, and his eyes took on a cheery look.

"That little shack? Well, if it was owned by the short fat man, I guess I did. What's that up to you?"

Holding in a growl, Luke ignored the man's coldness, as his jaw tightened.

"My cousins where in that little shack, and you knew that."

The man's fists clenched and unclenched, giving Luke the impression he was about to jump him. But he didn't, he just talked.

"And what if I did? Couple of hillbillies more or less, what's the difference? They die yet?"

And that was the final straw. Luke saw red after those words, and as he balled his fists, he jumped the guy so fast, he didn't even see it.

His first punch made contact with Macky's jaw hard, and the thug was shaking his head to see clear. Luke's second punch met the man's stomach, causing him to bend over.

Gasping for breath himself, Luke paused for one second. Yet it was one second too long. Macky stood up, like nothing had happened, and swung a meaty fist into Luke's side. And from then on, Luke couldn't count the blows which kept raining on him. At one point he thought he heard something snap, and the burning pain in his chest proved it right. Keeping one arm protectively over his probably broken rib, he continued to shield himself for Macky's punches, once in a while punching back and hitting his target.

But finally with one final punch, Macky hit Luke's already bruised and broken rib, causing Luke to tumble backwards, hitting his head on the mantelpiece, causing him to see stars…

While Luke lay there, dazed and unable to do or see anything, Macky reached for a poker, which had been hanging on the wall next to the fireplace.

Lifting the poker over his head, he was about to deliver the final blow, to a dazed Luke, who was trying his best to keep conscious.

And as if someone was watching over him, Luke's head cleared enough for him to see the poker coming down on him, making him roll away from the impact. And the impact was heavy, wood splintered behind him, and he knew he was lucky that poker didn't hit him…

Getting up on unsteady feet, he saw a bit of admiration in the other man's eyes.

"You keep getting up Duke, when ya gonna stay down huh?" Macky growled, swinging the poker through the air, making a swooshing sound which hurt Luke's ringing ears.

"I keep getting up Macky, until you are down…" Luke coughed, not sounding as strong as he wanted too.

But he had a trump card, one that Macky didn't know of. Turning around, he made it too the other room as fast as he could. He heard Macky's footsteps behind him, heavy, but dragging. He was tired…

Closing the door behind him, he shoved the old wooden crate in front of it. Frantically he searched the old room for the thing he knew had to be there.

There was no time to think about the memories this room held for him. No time to think about the times he played with his cars in here, no time to think about the nights his momma sang him to sleep and no time to think about the hole he had accidentally put in the wall with his baseball bat.

Chrystal blue eyes scanned the room hurriedly, before they landed on the item he was searching for.  
The old bow stood there, as if nothing had happened, as if no time had passed. Reaching for it, Luke felt it glide into his hands, and even though it was a small bow, sharp little arrows belonged with it. And they were…. Oh no, in the wooden crate which was standing in front of the door.

The crate was shaking dangerously as Macky put his weight behind his pushes from the other side of the door.

Luke rushed over to the crate, praying the arrows he wasn't allowed to play with as a child, were still there.

He almost gave a whoop of joy as his hand bumped into something sharp. The whoop turned into a cry as the door suddenly slammed open, shoving the crate and Luke to the side.

A wild-eyed Macky stepped into the room, scanning it for Luke, who luckily was kneeled next to the crate. Slowly he pulled the three arrows out of the crate, knowing Macky would turn around any second now, and as fast as he could, he put the arrow on the bow, aiming it at the thug just as he turned around.

So there they stood, Macky with the poker in his hand, eyes blazing, ready to strike, and Luke with his unwavering look, pointing his arrow straight at the man in front of him. It was a battle of wills, and no man was about to lay down his weapon.

Sweat formed on Luke's face, as his pained ribs protested against his crouched position and his head felt like it was three times as big.

The same beads of sweat covered Macky's face, as the tall man wasn't used to this kind of activity.

No one moved, and no sound was heard, that is, until the sound of a siren cut through the mist of silence.

Two pair of eyes widened, and two movements were made in the tiny room. Macky's hand shot out thrusting the poker towards the tired man in front of him, just as Luke released the arrow from his bow, aiming for the target in front of hìm.

And as Enos pulled into the driveway of Luke's old home, bloodcurdling screams could be heard coming from the abandoned house…

**Y'all saw what happened there? I didn't, I got my eyes closed, an' I ain't watching till I know everyone is awright… Don't go to the fridge now, cause things are heatin up in there!**


	12. Lost and Found

_**A/N Yet another chapter... It's a little longer this time, cause we're almost at the end now, and because ya had to wait so long for this one... Probably one more chapter after this, and we can say, finis! Hope y'all like it, enjoy!**_

12

Enos Strate had heard from Luke's visit to Boss and Roscoe. Seeing as his shift was over, he decided to help Luke in the search for the thug who was responsible for putting Luke and Daisy in the hospital. Enos felt a little bit guilty that he wasn't there when it had happened. Maybe he could have done something, at least try to save Daisy…

Heaving a deep sigh, he shut off his siren and got out of the patrol car, just as screams could be heard from the abandoned house.

With wide eyes, Enos froze, hearing nothing but silence, until after a minute or so, the wooden door slowly opened.

A dark-haired figure came stumbling out, looking around as if he was expecting someone to jump him then and there.  
Squinting a little, Enos noticed the man sway a little, and he also realized, this was not Luke…

"Possum on a gumbush!" He exclaimed to himself, "That's Macky!"

And as it all dawned on Enos, he drew his gun and hurried over to the dangerous man, who was now swaying around on the dusty ground.

As Enos came closer, he noticed something sticking out of the man's shoulder. Reaching him, he saw what it was… An arrow…

Glaring Macky in the eye, he slowly cuffed him, glancing towards the opened door every once in a while, expecting Luke to come out every minute now.

"Ya looking for that little plowboy who came ta get me? Well stop looking, cause he ain't comin out," Macky slurred, laughing at his own little joke. The laughter changed into a yelp of pain as Enos put the cuffs just a little tighter.

Walking the criminal to his patrol car, Enos cuffed him to the door, so the man had nowhere to go. Giving the man the toughest glare he had ever given anyone, Enos turned to search the house.

**Friends an' neighbours, ya just witnessed a historic moment in Hazzard history… Enos Strate, the soft an' gullible deputy is mad, really mad… And that ain't good. I sure hope Luke is awright, cause I ain't sure what 'll happen to that Macky fella when he isn't…**

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_Cracks…_

When Luke wearily opened his eyes, all he saw were blurred cracks, scarring the weathered ceiling. One special crack seemed to trigger a hidden memory in his fuzzy head…

_His momma, grabbing the old broomstick to kill the huge spider keeping residence on the ceiling. The sound of the broom hitting the ceiling with so much force, the spider came down, wìth a part of the ceiling…_

And just as fast as the memory came, it disappeared again, leaving behind a splitting headache.

Blinking a few times, Luke tried to clear his mind, and his vision, which only worked partially. It only made his aching body ache more, reminding Luke of the reason he was lying in his old room, waiting for the world to stop spinning.

Suddenly an even worse pain started to spread from his shoulder through his torso. Lifting his head a little to look at the flaming area, he immediately felt queasy at the sight that met him; the poker, which had previously been in Macky's hand, was now protruding from Luke's right shoulder, blood oozing around it.

Laying his head back down on the ground, Luke softly encouraged himself to get up.

"Alright… I can do this, jus' bit by bit, slowly…"

Lifting his head, and the rest of his body, caused a great deal of pain, but finally, after what seemed like hours, he was sitting on his knees, holding the poker in its place with his left hand.

Standing up proved to be even more difficult, as the room started swaying and turning, colors dancing around him.

Somehow, someway, he made it to the opened door. Not noticing his surroundings, he just followed the light, stumbling forward, he followed it into the arms of someone waiting there for him. And he knew, he could let go now.

Stumbling to his knees, he gave up the battle to stay conscious and let the darkness swallow him, following the sweet tone which was beckoning him, taking away the pain consuming his body and mind.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Enos had been about to enter the house, when a movement from the inside drew his attention and he stepped closer.

A second later the battered form of Luke Duke came stumbling out of the house. Blood and bruises covered his face, but the poker sticking from his shoulder immediately caught Enos' attention.

"Oh boy…" was the only thing he could utter, before Luke fell down on his knees, using up his last ounce of strength. Glancing up wearily, Luke's blue eyes, both turning a deep shade of blue and purple, got a clear moment before rolling back and closing.

Catching Luke's upper body, Enos slowly put his friend down, knowing he had to get the poker out first.

Taking a firm hold of the slippery thing, he braced himself, praying he wouldn't cause the unconscious man any more pain.

"I'm real sorry Luke, but I gotta do this…"

Ignoring the hateful remarks coming from the thug sitting next to the patrol car, he slowly pulled the poker out, amazed at the length of the part coming from Luke's shoulder.

Finally the sharp tip came out and Enos hurriedly threw away the hated object, to cover the bleeding hole in Luke's shoulder with his hand.

"I'd better get ya to the hospital buddy…" where his final words, as he slowly dragged Luke into his car, also taking Macky who had finally quieted down, but whose sneaky eyes followed every move the deputy made.

Turning on the sirens, the patrol car skidded away from the old house, leaving the memories there to be buried as the large wooden door slowly drifted shut…

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_The Hospital_

Back at the hospital Jesse was pacing, alone. Daisy had fallen asleep after he visited her just a few minutes before. He hadn't told her about Luke going AWOL, cause he knew how happy she had been when she had seen Luke at her bedside. So he had soothed her, and she had fallen asleep again, while Jesse gave a prayer of thanks, that at least one of his children was alright…

Bo had been in surgery for a few hours now, and Jesse was plumb scared. What if something went wrong? What if…

Scolding himself for thinking like that he mad his way to the hospital chapel, kneeling down in one of the front pews, he silently prayed for his family.

The thump of the door opening got him looking up, irritated at the person that disturbed him during his talk with the boss upstairs.

When he saw Enos standing there, blood covering part of his uniform, he immediately got up on cracking knees. With eyes wide in confusion, Jesse walked over to Enos, who was holding his hat against his chest, looking mighty worried.

"Enos? What are ya doin' here? Somethin happened ta my boy didn't it… I knew it, I never shoulda let him go alone…"

Jesse trailed off as he saw Enos was about to open his mouth to explain himself.

"Ehh, uncle Jesse, I jus' brought Luke and that Macky fella to the hospital. Seems like they's got into a fight at his hide-out place on Jessup road…" Enos trailed off this time.

"Well… go on Enos. How's my boy? He won, right?" Jesse tried to lighten the mood.

"It was at Luke's old house, and… well both him an' Macky are pretty banged up. Luke kinda shot Macky with his old bow and arrow,"

Jesse grinned at that, even though he was against unnecessary violence, he knew Luke would never intent to do something like that on purpose. But in self-defense… Jesse shook his head, Enos wasn't done yet.

"Apparently Macky kinda stabbed Luke with a poker…"

Jesse almost asked Enos to say that again, cause he was sure he had heard him wrong.

"A… a poker?"

Nodding solemnly, Enos stammered on.

"When I cuffed Macky, Luke came stumbling out of the house, and I pulled it out, but now he's in the Emergency Room, an' I don't know if he's awright, but Macky's under arrest, an' things are gonna be…"

By then Enos had to pause to take a much needed breath, as Jesse finished his sentence for him.

"I got all my youngins back, an' things are gonna be awright…" he ended, walking out of the chapel towards the floor his family was on…

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The brightness was blinding him, yet it was soothingly warm. Somehow he wished he could stay here forever, but he knew that wasn't possible. The pain he felt, someplace far away, was still real, and he had to return there soon…

"Lukas…"

That voice! It was so familiar, but he couldn't place it.

Turning around in the white void, he saw nothing. Just the feeling of being loved. It was so strong, it took away the rough edges of the pain beckoning to him.

"You've grown…"

Turning again, Luke finally noticed a shimmer of a person coming towards him. But by now, he didn't need to see who was talking to him, he already knew.

"Mom?"

It came out broken, the word foreign on his tongue, yet sounding so right.

The blurry figure became sharper, forming the loving face of his mother. The same face he had known as a toddler. Even the voice was the same, the same one which had soothed him when he had nightmares, the voice which had begged his father to forgive her…

A hand softly cradling his face made him shiver slightly.

"You're hurt…"

"It's nothing…" came his short reply.

Looking into his mothers eyes, Luke's mind started working again.

"Am I dreaming?" he asked the ghostly apparition.

"In a way… It's a way for me to let you know I'll always be here for you son," she said, emotion filling her melodious voice.

A thought came to Luke's blurry mind.

"In the house… When Macky tried to… It was you?" he asked, hope clearly evident in his voice.

"I'm always looking out for you baby," she answered lovingly, only to add as an afterthought, "It's a fulltime job ya know…"

Luke smiled a little, leaning into the soft hand caressing his heated skin.

"I miss you momma…"

Another hand found its way into his dark curls, as if to take the pain away, while the apparition spoke again.

"I know… And I miss you too. We both do…"

Shock found its way to Luke's blue eyes as he pondered what his mother just said.

"Are you happy here?" he asked, needing to know that one thing, before the other voices would lure him back to reality. He could feel their pull on him.

"Yes, we are… We're together, and that's what matters. I only wish you could have been spared. I'm sorry son…" she whispered, eyes giving away the shame she was feeling over leaving her son like that.

"Don't be…" Luke answered immediately, "I've got a great family, with people who love me, an' uncle Jesse took great care of me since I came ta live with him…"

He paused for a moment, pondering his words.

"I jus' wish… I wished I could have known you better. I'll always miss ya… Both of ya," he ended, tightly hugging the small form of his mother.

"I know, son, I know…" she whispered, before kissing his forehead and stepping back.

"But ya have ta go now, yur family needs you," she said, pointing to something behind him.

And as Luke turned around to see what she meant, he heard her say goodbye, and felt how she slowly floated away from him.

"Goodbye momma," he whispered, looking back one more time, before walking towards the voices begging him to come back…

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	13. Awakenings

_**A/N Final chapter!! Wow, I never thought this was where this story was gonna end... But, here ya have it. It was a great experience ta write about something so close to me, so this story was kinda personal too. Anywas, I hope y'all liked it, I'm already working on my next story. It's called Bulletproof Dukes, and like always the Dukes get into trouble again. However the trouble is a little more serious then they are used to...**_

_**Thanks for all the people who kept reviewing my story, you keep me writing! Well, enjoy!**_

13

The voices kept getting louder and louder, but they didn't make any sense. The words where jumbled and he couldn't make a sentence from them if his life had depended on it.

"Bo… Luke… Wake… Awright… Thug… Enos… Bloodloss… Drain…Uncle Jesse…"

But even if the words didn't make any sense, the voices did. And one of the voices was a voice he had thought never to hear again…

"Bo…"

The croaked voice resounded through the hospital room, making the occupants glance towards the source.

The voices stopped as Luke tried to open his eyes. God his body felt heavy…

Cracking open one eye, the only things he saw was a blurry whiteness and a figure standing next to him. Was he still in that whiteness? Was his mom still there?

"Mom?" he mumbled, trying to get the figure into focus as his other eye opened too.

"Son, it's yur uncle Jesse. Jus' take it easy…" the person spoke, and the voice made it clear to Luke that it wasn't his mom.

Blinking twice the colors stopped swirling and the room started to take shape. A hospital room?

"Uncle Jesse?" he asked, seeing the white-haired man standing next to him holding his hand.

Jesse noticed the confusion on his nephew's face, calming him down with a firm hold on his hand.

"Easy Luke, yur in the hospital now."

Realization dawned on Luke the moment his mind started clearing up again.

"Macky?"

"He's been put under arrest. It's over son…" Jesse mumbled, stroking the hand he was holding.

Sighing deeply Luke closed his eyes for a minute, wishing the nauseating feeling would disappear.

"I feel sick…" he croaked as Jesse made him take a small sip of water.

Setting the cup down, Jesse nodded, "Well, that's ta be expected with a concussion like that. Ya really hit yur head hard Luke."

"Good thing ya have a hard head cousin…"

The words were spoken with a soft voice, the light tone not reflecting in the scratchiness of the voice. But Luke would recognize that voice everywhere, even though he had expected never to hear it again…

"Bo?" he whispered, sitting up, but regretting that motion when his world started to spin again. Uncle Jesse's hand helped him up a bit, causing the stitches in his shoulder to protest, but none of that mattered to him. The only one that mattered was his cousin.

As his vision cleared up once again, he saw where that voice had come from.

There was another bed in the room, not far away from him. Wires were attached to the bed, and to the person lying in it, but the person was awake.

"But how…" Luke stuttered, "Ya were… coma…"

The relief which flooded him was overwhelming. Bo was there, and he was alright. But still…

"How?"

Bo chuckled slightly, wincing as his entire abdomen flared up in pain.

"Never thought ta see you at loss for words cuz…" he said before turning his head again, his brow furrowed at the pain still coursing through his head.

Jesse walked over to the other bed, patting his other nephew's hand.

"You take it easy now Bo, ya just woke up, and if it wasn't for our good friend Harley, ya wouldn't even be able to share a room. So rest now."

Turning over to Luke, he started explaining.

"Ya were knocked out for a day. Thankfully the drain they put in Bo's head," this earned him a slight snort from the person in question, "it worked," Jesse continued.

"He woke up jus' minutes before you…" he let the sentence linger as he pondered his own words.

"Hmmm, that's the first time I ever used that sentence," he said seriously, earning himself a chuckle from Luke and another snort from Bo.

Turning serious again, he slowly walked over the door, "I'll git the nurse, an' then I'm gonna go inform Daisy bout you two. She's about ready ta take on every nurse in this hospital if she ain't git ta see ya," Jesse chuckled as he left the room, leaving the two boys alone, in silence.

That silence only lasted for a minute, cause even though he had a headache from hell, Bo was curious as ever, and needed to know what had happened when he had been out of it.

"So… Ya really back now?"

"Well," Luke said, a twinkle in his tired eyes, "I look like I'm goin' somewhere soon?"

This didn't faze Bo in the slightest, he had to know…

When Bo kept silent, Luke turned serious, and even though his throbbing shoulder wasn't cooperating, he sat up as far as he could.

"Yeah, I'm back now… Sorry 'bout that whole mess…" he looked down, suddenly ashamed of his behavior the last two weeks.

Bo saw this, and he knew the last thing his cousin needed right now was another bout of guilt.

"No need ta be sorry cuz, ya needed ta git through that, an' ya did. I'm jus' glad ya remembered where ya belonged."

"Yeah, right next ta you an' Daisy in a hospital right? How can ya say that Bo?" Luke asked, not understanding how Bo could forgive so easily, "I left y'all, an' look what happened! If I'd a been there that night…"

"Then what?" Bo asked, getting an angry gleam in his eyes as he slowly turned his aching body towards Luke, "There was nothin' ya could 've done Luke. If ya'd a been there ya would 've been hurt yourself. That what ya wanted, huh? Ya wanted ta lie there, underneath the rubble, not bein' able ta breath or see, only feelin pain in yur entire body?" he rasped, chest heaving as the emotions tried to free themselves.

"Bo…" Luke's calm voice found its way through the panic coming back to him.

"Bo, I'm sorry-,"

"Stop sayin' that!"

The sentence echoed through the small room, and Luke was worried a nurse would hear them and separate them. Silence followed though.

A tear found its way down Bo's cheek as he tried to calm himself down.

"Ya know what?" Bo asked suddenly, his voice soft, "When I was fallin', an' when I felt the rubble come down on me, the only thing I could think was that I was glad you wasn't there…"

"Bo…"

"No, lemme finish. I was glad ya wasn't there, cause I knew ya would be okay, an' somehow, I knew ya was gonna make sure me an' Daisy was gonna be okay. I never lost faith in ya cuz…" Bo ended, suddenly feeling very tired.

Luke blinked misty eyes, trying to swallow the large lump which had settled itself in his throat. Clearing it with a soft cough Luke held out one uninjured hand towards the bed next to him.

And even though his eyes were almost closed, Bo took it, not caring about the pain it caused his beaten body. Two hands, coming together in the middle, clinging to each other, like they had always done.

Luke couldn't help but think, nothing had changed. He still felt the same power surge through him as the two drew strength from each other.

Sensing Bo was about to fall asleep again, he knew there was something he had to say.

"I'm really glad I came back cuz, cause this is where I belong…"

The final words were whispered, as sleep claimed his tired body too.

And that was how uncle Jesse and a wheelchair-bound Daisy found the boys. Both asleep, with their hands entwined in between their beds. They looked peaceful.

Sitting down next to Daisy, Jesse took her hand, tears glistening in his eyes.

"Things 'll be alright now… Things 'll be alright…"

**Now ain't that a sight for sore eyes? I'll tell ya, I'm glad I decided ta look again, cause otherwise I'd a missed this joyful reunion… An' don't y'all want ta watch this forever? Let's sit back and relax, cause things like this don't always last that long with the Dukes…**

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_Two weeks later_

The Dukefarm was quiet in the early morning light. The smell of coffee filled the little farmhouse, as the Duke men came in from their morning chores, talking softly in animated voices.

"Ya should take it easy Bo, that arm isn't healed by a long shot, ya know?"

Swinging his plastered arm around Luke's shoulder, Bo smiled a bit as his cousin cringed ever so slightly.

"An' yur sayin' that with a sore shoulder, which isn't completely healed, huh?" he said, as the two made their way inside.

Sitting down for breakfast, they welcomed their uncle, coming back from the barn, while Daisy put the things on the table.

Bowing their heads, Jesse gently slapped Bo's good hand as it was about to reach for a piece of toast.

"Dear Lord, this morning I want ta say a special thanks… I want ta thank ya for keepin' this family tagether, an' for giving us the strength ta git past old wrongs…"

Lifting his head, he made eye contact with each and every family-member sitting at the table, "An' I also want ta say a prayer for the people who aren't here, may you forgive them their mistakes, like we did. Amen."

A soft Amen could be heard from every Duke sitting at the table, and surprisingly it was Luke who started speaking again after a minute of silence.

"Alright, let's eat!"

Smiling brightly, Bo didn't need someone to tell him that twice, as he filled his plate, while the others laughed at his hunger.

Looking up with an innocent look on his face, Bo found all the Dukes laughing, and he had a feeling the joke was on him.

"What? I'm still growin…"

"If yur still growin, we need a bigger house…" Luke bantered.

"Well, I can't help it you stopped growin years ago…" Bo continued.

Jesse could only smile as he watched his nephews banter, while his niece played referee by keeping them from going at each other.

Everything was right on the Dukefarm again. He only wondered how long this peace was gonna last.

The siren outside answered his question. Trouble had already found them again. Probably in the form of Boss Hogg and his crooked schemes.

Sighing softly he started eating, still smiling broadly.

It was gonna be just another day on the Dukefarm

**Ahh, don't y'all jus' love the sound of sirens in the mornin'?  
So there ya have it. Things are back ta normal in our favorite little town. The sheriff is as crooked as always, the boys are bantering, an' Jesse an' Daisy are tryin ta keep things from escalating.**

**  
I'll see y'all next time, cause we all know, the Dukes an' trouble are tighter then a fox and his chickens… Y'all come back now, ya hear?**


End file.
